


Puzzled Chisps

by lywellen



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety Disorder, Asexuality Spectrum, Fluff, Humor, Mild Language, Multi, Post-Pacifist Ending, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slice of Life, So Much Awkwardness, monster racism, slowish burn, some violence, these tags will work for now, we'll see how things go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-05-19 15:56:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 88,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5973211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lywellen/pseuds/lywellen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anime is real, right?  Well, it would be nice if it were.  It would be nice if crushing anxiety weren't a thing either.  But luckily, you've met some nice friends in college.  Friends to hang out with and watch anime.  Another friend who tells awful jokes.  A cool friend who you definitely don't have a crush on or anything... B... Baka!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tuesday, 8/27/20XX:  Anime Club

**Author's Note:**

> And thus it starts. ^~^

Tuesday, 8/27/20XX

     Breathe, you told yourself as you made your way across the campus of your college. Your new home. For the next four years. You didn’t know anyone. But you had made it this far, yeah? A whole week so far. You had even managed to say a few words to a classmate that had asked to borrow some paper. Progress. No ‘episodes’ either or passing out… Yet. Your medicine seemed to be working ok. No one had laughed at you. Well, those girls behind you in math class had laughed but even though your thoughts said otherwise, they were probably not even laughing at you. Definitely not. They were friends laughing about something else. You knew this. Best not to dwell on such things. People were generally good. You liked people. Even if you didn’t always know how to act around them. It’s not that you were stupid. You just believed if you looked hard enough, you could find the good in everyone. Even if it was just a little bit. Don’t let negative thoughts in. Breathe.

     One of your favorite things was anime. Especially shoujo anime. All the characters in it were so full of feeling and love and just wanted to be loved in return and the stories were so beautiful they often brought you to tears and… You had arrived at your destination. Yup, only that heavy blue door stood between you and anime club… Deep breath. More progress. You didn’t know anyone here, yet here you were, trying new things, not shutting yourself up in your room like the panic in you told you to. No. You were going to do this. You could always leave and never come back if things became too intense. Deep breath, and you pushed open the door. The slightly darkened auditorium was full of about twenty or so chatting people. No one really looked up from their conversations as you slipped in. Good. At the front of the room a guy in a fedora and a girl in cat ears were fiddling with computer settings, trying to get the overhead projector set up. You ducked your head, smiling timidly in case anyone looked over at you, and quickly found a seat in the back row. As your eyes adjusted, you noticed, with a start, you had accidentally sat right next to someone without leaving a seat in between. Oh no! That was rude wasn’t it? What if they had been saving that seat for a friend and didn’t want to be so close to a stranger? Maybe you should ask? Maybe you should at least say something to the person next to you because they were starting to look like they wanted to say something, they were definitely looking in your direction, and you decided to speak/sort of squeak (was that how you sounded?).

     “Oh… I-I’m sorry. W-were you saving this seat? I could move… If…”

     But the person, who you now noticed was a yellow lizard woman, spoke at the same time you did, “D-do you want me to s-scoot over…”

     You both stopped, offering each other timid smiles. Heh. You started to relax a little, deciding that it was worth trying to be friends. You didn’t have any at this school yet. You still had the option of getting up and leaving if you needed to, and that thought was calming.

     “I-I’m Alphys,” she said, offering a little wave. You noticed she had a yellow tail poking out the back of the space behind her auditorium chair. She wore a cute ruffly dress and glasses. A spiky casque made up the width of the back of her head. She was sweating slightly. You were happy she didn’t try to shake hands with you. Physical contact was difficult and awkward with strangers.

     You introduced yourself with a little wave and continued, “So… Um… Are y-you a student here too?”

     “Ehehe… Yeah. W-working on my masters degree in Engineering. Y-you?” She stammered.

     “Ah… I’m a freshman. A-art major. So um, you l-like anime too?” You immediately started mentally berating yourself. Of course she did! She was here, right? Stupid. Stupid.

     “Yes, very much!” she said enthusiastically, not even remotely making a face at your stupid question. “I w-was excited they started this club. Though I’ve seen the anime they’re showing before. Mew Mew: Kissy Cutie. H-have you seen it before?”

     You shook your head. “No…b-but I really like shoujo anime. I hear this one’s pretty good…”

     Her eyes widened, her expression becoming almost… Manic as she leaned a bit more towards you. Somehow in the darkened room light glinted off her glasses. She started speaking quickly and excitedly, “Oh! I think you will really love it! It’s so good! One of my favorites! It’s about this girl with cat ears, though she’s super sensitive about them, and when she kisses people she…”

     Some girl in front of you turned and cleared her throat pointedly, glaring daggers at Alphys. She immediately winced, shrank back in her chair, and started worrying her fingers in her lap. “W-well… S-spoilers. S-sorry…” The other girl turned back around, ignoring her stuttered apology. Kinda rude but maybe the girl was having a bad day or something?

     Still… You felt terrible because Alphys was just talking to you and now the girl in front of you was mad and Alphys was upset. This was your fault! You had to try to fix this. “Ah… Um… D-don’t worry about it. Um… I’m happy to hear it’s so good and look forward to seeing it. N-no worries. Really. I like talking with you! You seem like a really nice person and I’m happy I sat next to you and g-got to meet you…” That was probably a weird thing to say right? That last part? But maybe not, as Alphys was smiling at you brightly. She seemed like she was about to say something but the lights were suddenly off and the anime was starting.

     About 2 hours and 4 episodes later, you and Alphys were talking excitedly together about the anime you just watched. Both of you headed towards the dorms which happen to be in the same direction as the parking lot. Alphys was pretty short, coming up just below your shoulder. She kind of shuffled and swished her tail as she walked. You found out Alphys lived off campus with her girlfriend Undyne, who was coming to pick her up. You decided to wait with her as it was starting to get later and it was not safe to stand alone at night. Human or monster, magic or not. You found yourself being able to talk easily with Alphys. You two had quite a bit in common. Well, minus her being some sort of genius scientist. You realized this as she started explaining her phone after she pulled it out to exchange numbers and show you some pictures of her girlfriend. Wow, she had actually, literally built her phone from spare parts! She noticed you staring in awe at it and proudly showed you how she had integrated magic with it to include item storage! Like some sort of dimensional box, she explained, and you understood like only half of that. Still, super impressive! You told her so.

     “Oh… Heh… Thanks. Um, speaking of ‘impressive’ I should probably warn you… My girlfriend can be r-rather… Exuberant. And… Well, I k-kinda noticed you seem a bit… Less exuberant… Kinda like me, ehehe. Oh! But don’t worry, she means well and is actually super tsundere at heart… Ehehe…”

     You actually found yourself curious about her girlfriend. From the picture, she seemed… Well, kind of Alphys’ opposite. Where Alphys seemed timid and kinda withdrawn, Undyne looked super strong and confident (she was hoisting a boulder over her head in one of the pictures). Your curiosity, it seemed, was about to be sated as a red convertible pulled up. A skeleton monster wearing sunglasses (in the dark?) was driving and before the car could even stop, Undyne launched herself from the passenger’s seat and swooped her girlfriend up into a hug. She was even taller than the picture made her look, probably around like seven feet tall! She was wearing a black tank top and pants that showed off all of her many muscles. She had her red hair pulled up in a ponytail.

     “Sup nerd!” she grinned toothily at the now blushing Alphys. “Oh, you made a new friend, eh? What’s up, punk? Not trying to steal my girl or anything are ya?” She looked down at you and narrowed her right yellow eye (her left was covered by like a pirate patch).

     You gaped and made a kind of squawk at her, turning beet red, and it looked like Alphys was about to open her mouth and interject when Undyne threw her head back roaring with laughter.

     “OH! Oh man, your face! HAHAHAHA, I’m just messing with ya, ya weenie!” You were starting to become a bit overwhelmed. Breathe.

     “UNDYNE!” came a shout and you turned to see the tall skeleton monster approaching your group with his eye sockets narrowed (he had apparently taken off his shades). He was wearing short shorts, a red scarf, red gloves, and a white shirt with ‘Boo Ya!’ scrawled across the front in sharpie. He stopped just in front of her, the latter still holding a blushing Alphys in her arms. He was tall enough to be eye to… Er, eye sockets with her. He flipped his red scarf around behind his back, put a hand on his hip and pointed a gloved finger accusingly at Undyne. “WE DO NOT JUMP FROM A MOVING VEHICLE! NOT SAFE!!! OH!” His expression brightened as he noticed you. “YOU MUST BE THE HUMAN FRIEND ALPHYS POSTED ABOUT MEETING AT THE ANIME CLUB! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

     “Uh… H-hi. Your shirt is… Um… Is… Cool,” you stuttered. You were quickly losing your composure. There was no reason for this. Everyone seemed so nice. Breathe.

     Despite your awkwardness and rising panic, Papyrus seemed delighted with your compliment. “NYEH HEH HEH! A GENUINE COMPLIMENT!!! OF COURSE I AM COOL! OVERWHELMINGLY SO! I CAN SEE YOU ARE…ACTUALLY LOOKING A BIT OVERWHELMED! TO MEET SOMEONE AS GREAT… AS… ME… AH…”

     This was too much. You could feel your heart speed up as well as your breathing. You were starting to become sweaty. You had to make a hasty retreat before you did something super embarrassing… Like black out. “Um… It… It w-was nicemeetingyouallbutIreallyhavetogonow…” You strung together shakily, somewhat intelligibly as you quickly turned and all but bolted for your dorm, not wanting to see their reactions.

     Shit, shit, shit. You couldn’t go back to your room. Not like this. Your roommate was there! You might not even make it there! You may pass out. You made your way to the nearest bathroom and locked yourself in a stall, tears streaming down your face. You slumped sitting on the toilet seat, as you rested your elbows on your knees and your head in your hands. You concentrated on slowing your breathing as you started to shake. Ok. Ok. You were in the clear. Luckily no one was in the bathroom and no one followed you. You mentally cursed your stupid weakness. What the hell? And your night had been going so well! You were starting to make a new friend and everything! You were doing so well. Looks like you messed that up. After that pathetic display you were sure none of them wanted to see you again. And now you couldn’t go back to anime club. Great… You started to calm down enough to dab at your eyes before leaving the stall to look in the mirror. You washed your face and eyes in the sink with cold water, wiping at them carefully and scrutinizing your expression. Good. There wasn’t much red around your eyes. It didn’t look like you were crying. You could play off the slight puffiness like you were just tired.

     You rode the elevator to the fourth floor and entered your tiny one-room dorm to find your roomie busy on her computer. You both had your computer desks under your lofted beds, one on each catty corner wall. There was a small sink, microwave, and mini fridge along the wall opposite your desk. The window was on your roommate’s side of the room. Yay freshman dorms. Your roommate, who you had just met a week ago, finished typing whatever she was working on and turned to face you, a slight frown on her face.

     “So, first of all, are you ok?” Ah man, your blunt roommate had noticed your eyes after all. You opened your mouth to make up some excuse about just being tired when she cut you off, continuing, “Cause I happened to see you out running from some monsters earlier when I was heading up to the dorm. I tried to call out to ya, but you must not have heard me. Guess you didn’t know we had a few on campus, huh? They can be pretty creepy. Not that I’m like super anti-monster or anything, but like I totally understand if they freaked you out. I’d be pretty freaked out too if I was like, approached by some sort of dinosaur, the grim reaper, and a shark monster.”

     You stared at her, dumbfounded. What? No! The fact that they happened to be monsters had nothing to do with anything! You had just been overwhelmed by their… What’s the word Alphys used… Exuberance. “N-no!” you stuttered. “I… They…” you took a breath, “I… A-actually met Alphys at… Er… The one with glasses… At… At one of the school clubs. I was walking her to the p-parking lot since it’s right by our dorm so she wouldn’t have to stand alone while she waited for her girlfriend and…”

     She cut you off again with, “OMG!” She actually said each letter. “So, like, the dinosaur one, right? And she’s girlfriends with the shark one? Oh wow! That’s crazy! I couldn’t really tell their gender from so far away. Though it’s sometimes tough to tell anyway, amirite? But wow! Gay monsters exist too? You must have been like, totally shocked!”

     “No! A-actually, no. They were very nice. I just… Am a bit of a spaz. Hah, k-kind of embarrassing actually. But no, they were really nice. Ah, y-you’ve probably noticed this but I’m… Er… Sh-shy around new people. In general. H-has nothing to do with the fact that those people happen to be monsters.” You didn’t know why, but hearing your roommate describing Alphys as a ‘dinosaur’ and Undyne as a ‘shark’ (she didn’t look much like a shark anyway with iridescent blue scales and fins at the sides of her head), it kind of annoyed you. And ‘the grim reaper?’ Really? You supposed your roommate didn’t mean to be offensive though.

     Your roommate laughed, and put a hand on your arm. You winced and fought your instinct to jerk away but luckily she moved her hand to wipe her eyes. “Dude! You are such a freak! I don’t know how we got paired together in the room lottery! Haha, it’s cool though. Just warn me if you ever decide to like, bring any monsters up here.” She turned back to her computer, giggling.

     She meant well, you reminded yourself with a sigh. Deep down you’re sure she was a good person. Your phone pinged, and you looked at the screen, shocked to see a text message from an unknown number which was soon followed by another from Alphys.

??: HUMAN! I WANTED TO APOLOGIZE FOR STARTLING YOU. PLEASE ALLOW ME THE CHANCE TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU AS YOU ARE A DEAR FRIEND OF MY DEAR FRIEND AND I WOULD LIKE THE CHANCE TO BE YOUR DEAR FRIEND TOO! MAYBE GET TOGETHER SOMETIME TO HANG OUT?

Alphys: I just wanted to warn you, Undyne got my phone away from me on the ride back and managed to give Papyrus your number. He may try to text you. ^ ~ ^ ;

     Huh. So he typed in all caps much like he shouted when he talked. He seemed like a friendly enough guy and you liked his funny, confident style. You couldn’t help but crack a small smile. Another ping.

Papyrus: OR JUST REGULAR TYPE FRIENDS.

You, to Alphys: I’m sorry about earlier. I guess I just kind of got overwhelmed? I’m kind of a spaz. I’d understand if you didn’t want to hang out again. =S

Alphys: No! I liked meeting you. Lol, I was actually worried maybe you didn’t want to hang out again? I get the overwhelmed thing. It happens to me too. All the time. Undyne and Papyrus actually felt really bad when they realized what happened. Please don’t worry about it. Like I said, it happens to me too. They’ve seen it happen to me too and understand the whole ‘needing to escape for a bit’ thing.

Papyrus: ACQUAINTANCES?

     Ah, you hadn’t answered his texts yet! And here he was trying to be nice to you.

You, to Papyrus: You have nothing to apologize for. Hah, I’m sorry. I would definitely like to hang out sometime.

You, to Alphys: Hah, thanks. But yeah, we should definitely sit together again at anime club. I enjoyed meeting you too! =)

Papyrus: EXCELLENT! BECAUSE MY BROTHER AND I WORK ON CAMPUS AND HE AND I ARE GOING TO THE PIZZA PARLOR TOMORROW NIGHT. AFTER HE GETS OFF WORK. YOU SHOULD COME TOO! ARE YOUR CLASSES DONE BY 6PM?

     You gawked at Papyrus’s last text. What the heck? He was serious? He wanted to hang out with you tomorrow? After your fleeing act earlier? Perhaps out of guilt? He didn’t even know you! You didn’t want to intrude on he and his brother’s dinner!

You, to Papyrus: I don’t want you to feel like you have to hang out with me or anything out of guilt or whatever. =S I’m sure you and your brother don’t want to hang out with some random stranger after a long day of work.

Alphys: Great! See ya at the next club meeting, day after tomorrow! ^ - ^

Papyrus: NONSENSE!! I WANT TO HANG OUT WITH YOU! AND THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT FEEL GUILT BECAUSE I AM INNOCENT. AT LEAST UNDYNE IS ALWAYS SAYING SO. USUALLY FOLLOWED BY NOOGIES. I GUARANTEE MY BROTHER IS MUCH STRANGER THAN YOU!!!

     Hm, you needed to figure out some excuse to back out of dinner tomorrow. Not that you didn’t want to hang out with them and pizza did actually sound really good. You just didn’t want a repeat performance of tonight and you didn’t trust yourself. Especially in front of people you didn’t know and in a situation that may be more difficult to escape. You typed a reply to Alphys, hit send, and gasped as you realized you sent it to the wrong person!

You, to Papyrus: Awesome. See ya then!

     Your roommate turned her head to you after your dramatic gasp. “Who are you texting over there anyway?” Another ping.

Papyrus: ;)

     “Ah… J-just some friends.” You quickly typed a reply to the correct person this time.

You, to Alphys: Awesome, see you then!

     She shrugged and turned back to her computer. “This is just the first time I’ve seen you text so much…”

Papyrus: IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING, THAT IS A WINK FACE. IT MEANS I AM ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF OUR DINNER DATE TOMORROW! WE WILL MEET YOU AT THE CAMPUS BOOK STORE AT 6PM WHERE SANS WORKS.

     Sans must be his brother then. Well, that happened. Looked like there was no backing out now.

Papyrus: SANS, AS IN MY BROTHER. AND DINNER DATE, AS IN PLATONIC DATE. LIKE WITH FRIENDS.

     Another several texts followed immediately after.

Papyrus: NOT THAT I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO DATING HUMANS! I HAPPEN TO BE A DATING EXPERT!

Papyrus: I HARDLY KNOW YOU THOUGH AND THAT WOULD BE KIND OF SUDDEN YOU SEEM REALLY KIND BUT I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOUR FEELINGS AND

Papyrus: PLEASE PRETEND I DIDN’T SEND THAT LAST TEXT.

     You actually let out a little snort of a laugh and had to cover your mouth. Your roommate gave you a side look but you pretended not to notice. So Papyrus was actually a little awkward too? You immediately felt a little guilty for thinking that. After all, you were way more awkward. You felt even more guilty for actually being a little relieved. Maybe tomorrow would be ok and not a total disaster?

You, to Papyrus: No worries. =)


	2. Wednesday, 8/28/20XX: Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try to update every other day. Mild cursing in this chapter, if that bothers anyone. Consider this your warning. ;)

Wednesday, 8/28/20XX

     Classes passed uneventfully. You lamented the fact that you had to get through your ‘core’ classes before you could take anything even remotely related to your major. You spent most of your day not really paying attention. Instead, you doodled in the margins of your notebook while planning for the evening. Sadly, you realized, most of your planning involved thinking about escape routes just in case. For instance, if needed, the pizza place had a bathroom you could kind of hide in for a few minutes. Or you could make some excuse about having more homework than you anticipated and explain you needed to leave early. The local pizza place was close to the dorms. You didn’t have to rely on transportation. That sort of thing. Ug, why were you always so anxious about everything? You knew it made no sense but couldn’t help it anyway. And a part of you was looking forward to hanging out with Papyrus and meeting Sans. Papyrus seemed like a total sweetheart. It would be nice to have a few friends on campus. Especially since campus was so far away from home. Your old home. You didn’t want to think about your old home right now.

     As 6PM neared, with your familiar trepidation to keep you company, you made your way toward the campus book store. Breathe. This would be fun. Anime club was fun. You could do this! You managed a timid smile as you neared the bookstore.

     Papyrus was waiting there while leaning against the wall. He was wearing his red scarf, red gloves, short shorts, and a crop-top white t-shirt with the word ‘Rad’ scrawled crudely across the front in sharpie marker. He also had sunglasses on again. You noticed this time that they were being held up with sparkly duck tape at the sides of his skull. A couple of guys passed him on their way out. One of them was smirking and not in a friendly like way. Your heart dropped but as he turned like he was about say something to Papyrus, he tripped and fell on his face. Wait, did his sneaker just glow blue for a second or was that your imagination? His friends burst into laughter, and Papyrus quickly helped the fallen guy up, while shooting a glare (well, his eye sockets were glaring anyway even if his mouth was stuck in a permanent grin) to the cash register area. You now noticed a shorter and more squat skeleton, slumped over the counter with his chin resting on his arms. Probably the brother, you figured. He was wearing a blue hoodie and had the hood up over his head coming down just above his eye sockets. Unlike his brother, he had a tiny light in each socket that seemed to be acting as his eyes, which now seemed to be trained on you.

     “HUMAN!!” Papyrus screeched, then, seemingly clearing his throat, he lowered his volume a bit (though it was still above normal speaking volume), “You Made It Here! On Time!” He grinned widely at you and you returned the smile. You realized he was probably trying to speak more softly on your behalf and it was a little embarrassing. But a nice sentiment. “SANS!! …Er… Sorry… Sans. This Is The Human Friend of Alphys’ I Told You About.”

     “sup.” He lifted his head slightly to move his hand to give you a lazy wave. Seemed he didn’t have to open his mouth to talk, unlike his brother. You smiled timidly and waved back, then looked at the floor. Ah man, you could imagine how the conversation about you went: ‘THIS IS THE HUMAN WHO RAN LIKE A SCARED RABBIT WHEN I WAS JUST TRYING TO GREET HER CASUALLY. BUT NOW I FEEL BAD AND WE HAVE TO TAKE HER TO DINNER. LET’S JUST PUT UP WITH IT FOR ONE NIGHT.’ Sigh. That was probably not how it went at all, and you knew it. You were pretty sure Papyrus was a genuinely sweet guy. Who knew though, you’d always been so quick to trust people. Too quick. It had hurt you in the past.

     You let out a little yelp as Sans just appeared near you, turning the sign in the window to ‘CLOSED’ while turning off the lights and locking the door. When did he move? Now that he was standing next to you, you noticed he was actually as short as Alphys.

     “SANS!!!” Papyrus screamed, forgetting again. Though it really wasn’t a big deal, you were starting to get used to his volume anyway. “WE JUST TALKED ABOUT YOU STARTLING PEOPLE SUDDENLY WITH YOUR SHORTCUTS! SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU SHOULD NOT!”

     You all started to make your way to the pizza place, which was about a 15 minute walk from the book store. You noticed that Sans’ full ensemble included a blue hoodie, black basketball shorts, and fuzzy pink slippers. You kind of liked the brothers’…unique attire choices.

     “sorry bro. tibia honest, i forgot.”

     “PLEASE!”

     “what’s the matter, bro? not finding me humerus?”

     “SANS!”

     “jokes a little outside of your radius of what you find amusing tonight?”

     “STOP!!!”

     You trailed behind them a bit, actually thankful they were doing the sibling bickering thing amongst themselves and ignoring you for the most part. Though they glanced back at you now and again to see how you were reacting. Honestly, at this point, you were trying not to laugh at the puns. Sans was pretty funny! And you were pretty sure they were letting you get used to them at your own pace on purpose in a way that wouldn’t embarrass you. They really were super nice.

     “ulna probably want to lower your voice.”

     “SAN… Sans. No. More. Puns!”

     You let out a snort and Sans grinned back at you. Papyrus grinned too, noticing you giving a genuine smile. “Ha ha, seriously. I appreciate it and all, but y-you don’t have to lower your voices or anything. I may be a nervous mess most days, but I’m not that fragile. But thank you. And thank you for inviting me to go eat with you all. You all are some of the nicest people I’ve met since coming here!”

     “we like the company,” Sans said, falling back in step next to you. “not every day we get to hang out with humans and not be treated like a sideshow or something. don’t worry about it. everyone has their issues. heh. i know i’ve got mine.”

     “WELL, LUCKY FOR YOU BOTH YOU HAVE SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU!” Papyrus hopped ahead a few steps to pose dramatically. He held the pose until you all passed, and then caught up again.

     “you are pretty cool, bro.”

     “NYEH HEH HEH! IT’S TRUE!” Papyrus looked at you and you nodded enthusiastically in agreement, earning another grin from the tall skeleton. You admired his self-confidence. You started to realize just how at ease you were when you didn’t even flinch before entering the mildly busy pizza parlor. Though when a few people glanced up curiously, you started to get that panicky feeling again, wondering if maybe your shirt was crooked or you had something on your face but…no…you realized they were looking at your new friends. Papyrus didn’t seem to notice as he carefully peeled the tape around his sunglasses from his skull and took them off while ducking through the doorway. You all were seated with cups of water and Papyrus happily opened his menu. Sans, though, squinted his sockets a bit (his mouth seemed to be stuck in a perma-grin too) and sighed. You didn’t understand the staring. Monsters had been on the surface for 2 years now. They were just people. They just happened to look different from human people.

     Not wanting Sans to be sad, you smiled at him and before you could think about it said, “They…I’m sure they don’t mean to stare. I’m sure they’re probably just admiring the view..e..er..how cool you both are. The coolness. Not that I don’t a-admire the…the view…ah…ok, I’m going to sip at my water and hope the floor s-swallows me up…” You sipped at your water, blushing profusely. Both Sans and Papyrus were staring at you, the former started to shake seemingly trying not to laugh.

     “HU… Human. Are You Ok? Your Face…” At Papyrus’ concern, Sans lost it, one hand over his mouth as he laughed and the other one slapped on the table with a clack. More eyes were staring at your table now and you slumped in your chair, willing the floor to open up. It didn’t. Sans started to regain some of his composure and Papyrus was staring intently at you as you regained your own. His grin was gradually widening. You huffed, now slightly irritated but mostly at yourself.

     “What?” You glowered slightly at Papyrus, as Sans was trying his best to stop laughing.

     “You Seem… Pretty Embarrassed, Huh?” Papyrus was grinning at you.

     “Yeah, I’d say so.” What was he getting at, pointing that out? He didn’t seem like the malicious type to make fun of someone, especially when they were down. “What’s your point?”

     “My Point, Dear Human, Is Just That. You Were Embarrassed.”

     “Yeah, great, thanks yet again for that astute observation.”

     “And Here You Sit.”

     “Yeah, here I sit. Thanks to the uncooperative floor.” Sans pffts again, looking away from you and covering his mouth.

     “You Didn’t Panic And Run.”

     “I…” You blinked. Huh.

     “heh. huh. bro’s right. guess you were right too. you’re not that fragile.”

     You realized you felt… Embarrassed, slightly annoyed, but not panicky. Something like that usually sent you scurrying for a place to hide. Your annoyed look was replaced with confusion. What was different? Why were you so comfortable with people you barely knew? You really wanted to know because something like this. Major breakthrough in progress!

     Your inner musings were interrupted by an, “OH, GOODY!” The waitress winced a bit at Papyrus’ volume but smiled and asked for your orders. Papyrus ordered an large bowl of pasta(?) for the whole table and an extra bottle of ketchup. You thought you were getting pizza but whatever, pasta was good too. Though ketchup didn’t sound good on pasta to you, but to each their own.

     You all lapsed into conversation, and you learned that the brothers had moved to town just before the start of the semester. Ah, so they had just moved to the area too. They lived in an apartment in the same complex as Alphys and Undyne off campus. Sans worked for the bookstore, and Papyrus proudly told you he worked for the school guard. At your confusion, Sans corrected ‘security guard.’ Ah, ok. And, while they were not allowed to use aggressive magic on campus unnecessarily (he looked pointedly at Sans who shrugged), he was allowed to use it if a student was in danger. Papyrus asked about you, so you told them about being an art major, how you liked anime, and cooking. Papyrus seemed excited you liked cooking as he was a ‘chef extraordinaire’ or something. He then told you about all the different pastas dishes he’d discovered how to cook since being on he surface. You told him pasta was one of of your favorite food groups and were surprised when there were actual sparkles in his eye sockets. You noticed Sans was mostly being quiet, discreetly loosening the caps on the salt and pepper shakers at the table. You made a mental note to use caution should you need to season your food.

     Soon, your food and extra ketchup arrived. Papyrus slid the ketchup bottle to his brother and served some spaghetti onto your plate, before serving himself. Papyrus dug into his spaghetti with enthusiasm while Sans, watching you, opened the bottle of ketchup and took a swig. You didn’t know if he was doing that for reaction or if he genuinely enjoyed drinking ketchup but decided not to make a deal of it either way. You suspected he just liked ketchup, since Papyrus wasn’t even glancing his way. If he wanted to walk around in slippers and drink ketchup, that was his business. You carefully ate your spaghetti, little bites at a time so you didn’t accidentally get sauce on your face or drop it or anything. Even though you were oddly comfortable around your new friends, eating in public still made you uneasy.

     After dinner, the leftovers were packed up and Sans grabbed the check before you could. Man, for a small, husky skeleton, he was fast! You protested. He didn’t even eat any of it! But he insisted on paying as Paps invited you, and he wouldn’t even let you leave the tip. You felt guilty but Papyrus reached over to pat your shoulder. You subconsciously flinched away, and immediately felt more guilty as Papyrus noticed. He furrowed his brows (bone ridges?), and withdrew his hand.

     “Ah… I-I’m sorry. I… Um… Get weird about people touching me. P-please don’t take it personal or anything.” You subconsciously rubbed the fingers of your left hand over the top of your right hand as you stared at the table.

     “No. I Should Have Asked. I Apologize… Again.” He squinted at his gloved hands, now folded on the table.

     “uh… hate to interrupt such a… touchy conversation,” you glanced up to see Papyrus snap his head over to glare at his brother, “but there seems to be a line. people waiting to be seated. we should go.”

     Ah, you jumped up, noticing he was right! Papyrus noticed too as he snatched up the to-go box and leapt up from the table, heading for the door. Sans stood and shoved his hands into his pockets, giving you a wink as he ambled after his brother. You gave him a grateful smile, and followed.

     Turned out Papyrus worked the overnight shift every other night. From 9pm to 5am. Ug, you didn’t think you could do that. With that kind of schedule, you wondered how he could be so energetic. Sans worked 12pm to 6pm Monday through Friday. You told them your schedule, somewhat proud you had managed to stack it so every Monday through Friday you had classes from about 8AM to 2PM with breaks in between.

     As you neared the dorm, Sans took the to-go box from his brother, and waved at you saying he’d take a shortcut home. Wait didn’t he live off…campus… He had just completely disappeared in the split second you looked away. Papyrus didn’t seem concerned at all so you just shrugged it off as monster magic and tried to keep up with his long strides. He insisted on walking you all the way to your dorm, as it was his sworn duty as campus guard to protect all the students. And you were a student. And his shift would be starting soon anyway. He really was very sweet.

     As you both got on the elevator and you hit the fourth floor button, you smiled at him, saying “Thank you. I had a lot of fun tonight! I’m r-really glad I got to meet you and your brother.”

     “I TOO HAD FUN! SO DID SANS! HE’S BEEN… Kind Of Down Lately. He Doesn’t Think I Notice. BUT I DO! IT WAS NICE TO SEE HIM LAUGH LIKE THAT! OH! BUT I AM SORRY YOU WERE EMBARRASSED!” Papyrus was looking at you somewhat uncertainly, rubbing the back of his skull. He really was very expressive for someone stuck with a permanent grin.

     “Hah, n-no, that’s ok. I’m glad I could make him laugh if that’s the case. T-tonight was… The first time in a long time I’ve been comfortable… Around other people. It was nice. I’m sure it’s because you all are so nice. Thank you for being so nice! Everything was just… Nice.” Nice. Smooth. Not awkward at all.

     “NYEH HEH HEH! YOU ARE AN HONEST AND KIND HUMAN! AND FUNNY! I’M VERY GLAD TO HAVE MET YOU TOO! WE SHOULD HANG OUT AGAIN! SOON!”

     “Definitely.” You agreed, as you reached for your door. “W-well, this is me… Oh… H-hey Becky…” You trailed off as your door opened and your gaping roommate was standing there, holding a towel, and headed to the shared bathroom showers for the hall. “Ah! I’m s-sorry, m-manners. This is Papyrus. Papyrus, m-my roommate Becky.”

     “GREETINGS ROOMMATE HUMAN!!! IT IS NICE TO…”

     He was cut off by a screeched, “WTF?!” She grabbed your arm, you winced, and she pulled you slightly inside the room. She hissed at you as if Papyrus couldn’t hear her clearly, “Isn’t that the friggin grim reaper that chased you away last night? And now you like, what, bring it up to our dorm? Hang out with it? Are you kidding me right now? Eww! I thought you were gonna warn me if you were going to bring one of those things up here!”

     “Ah… B-Becky. That’s k-kinda rude.” You glanced worriedly at Papyrus and he was squinting at his gloved hands twisting around each other. Ah, she’d hurt his feelings. “P-Papyrus… I…”

     “It’s Ok Human. I Understand. Nyeh Heh… I’ve… Got To Go Get Ready For My Shift. See Ya.” He turned and quickly started walking away, gloved hands in fists stiffly at his sides. Oh god. He thought you said all those things to Becky last night! He thought that came from you! Becky started to say something to you again but you wrestled your arm from her grip and dashed down the hallway after Papyrus.

     “W-wait! I… I didn’t say any of that stuff! P-please don’t think any of that w-was from me! And s-she didn’t really m-mean any of that…”

     “WORRY NOT HUMAN!” he said in a bright enough voice but still stood stiffly, not turning around so you couldn’t see his face. “MERE WORDS DO NOT AFFECT THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I… I JUST HAVE TO HURRY TO BE ON TIME FOR MY SHIFT! No Time For Talking.” His voice cracked a little on that last part. He hurried the last few steps to the elevator and still didn’t turn around to face you as he entered and reached behind him to press the ground floor button. You just stood there and watched the doors close.

     Becky ran up to your side, laughing as you stared at the elevator doors. “Holy shit dude! That was like, totally amazing! I can’t believe I witnessed that! Ha ha ha! It was so friggin loud! And what the hell was it wearing? Oh wow, I wish I had recorded…”

     She trailed off as you turned toward her, shaking with fury and giving her an icy glare. “What the FUCK is your problem? How the hell can you treat someone like that? He is not an ‘it.’ His name is Papyrus and he is important to me! You will NEVER speak to him that way again, you utter piece of garbage! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?”

     She stared at you, shocked into silence. Never had you raised your voice before or been that angry. Not once in an entire week living with her. Little did she know, probably not once in your entire life. You were always timid and avoided conflict. She shakily nodded her head as she quickly stumbled back towards the dorm room. She grabbed her towel and shower bag and all but ran to the bathroom. The room door across from yours cracked open and a girl was standing there looking at you, slow clapping her hands. You knew the gesture was probably meant in support as she clearly heard the entire exchange. But you just didn’t have it in you to respond. You walked back into your room, closing the door. You collapsed into your computer chair and laid your head on your arms on the desk, starting to cry. Dammit.

 


	3. Thursday, 8/29/20XX: Cheesy Jokes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter this time. And yes, those are lyrics shamelessly thrown in from a song I like by an amazing artist. ;P

Thursday, 8/29/20XX

     At about 7AM, you were just getting ready for your 8AM class when your phone pinged. Your roommate had left early. You had the suspicion she would probably be avoiding you for a while. You expected the text to be from Alphys, reminding you about anime club. You were shocked when you noticed it wasn’t not from her. It was from Papyrus.

Papyrus: GOOD MORNING HUMAN! I HOPE YOU HAD A RESTFUL SLEEP AND WILL HAVE A GOOD DAY AT CLASSES!

     You sniffled as you read the text. He really was too sweet. You felt awful. Before you could even type a response, he sent another text.

Papyrus: MY NIGHT…WAS VERY GOOD! THEN A VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF NOT GOOD. BUT ENDED UP BEING PRETTY GOOD AGAIN, SO WORRY NOT!

You: I’m glad it at least ended well. I’m so, so sorry about what Becky said. I don’t know what else to say…

Papyrus: DID I NOT SAY WORRY NOT? WE ARE STILL FRIENDS!!

     He was too good. You really didn’t deserve a friend like him. Tears started leaking down your face again.

Papyrus: BY THE WAY, YOU… PROBABLY SHOULDN’T CALL YOUR ROOMMATE AN ‘UTTER PIECE OF GARBAGE.’ OR SWEAR.

     You almost dropped the phone in your shock. Wha? How? Another ping.

Papyrus: FUNNY THING ABOUT ELEVATORS. IT’S A LOT HARDER TO PUNCH THE CORRECT BUTTONS WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING AT THEM. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE BEHIND YOUR BACK. WITH YOUR LEFT HAND. WITH GLOVES ON. THE BUTTON THAT MAKES THE DOORS CLOSE SURE IS CLOSE TO THE GROUND FLOOR BUTTON, HUH? NYEH HEH HEH. ;P

     Oh. Well. You wracked your brain trying to remember what else you had said that he may have overheard. Ah, you said he was important to you. Ah, you can’t decide if it’s a good thing or not he heard you. On the one hand he knew that you didn’t share Becky’s bigoted views. At all. On the other, maybe you were a little too passionate in your defense of someone you just literally met? Probably best not to dwell on it before you stewed over it all day. Wait. Did he stay up just to text you first thing, so you didn’t worry all day?

You: What are you even doing up anyway? You worked all night! You should be asleep!

Papyrus: I SLEEP AFTER MY BROTHER LEAVES FOR WORK. IF I WASN’T HERE TO GET HIM OUT OF BED, HE’D PROBABLY SLEEP THROUGH HIS SHIFT! HE IS SO LAZY!

You: But, that only gives you 5 hours sleep tops! How do you have so much energy on so little sleep? What is your secret??? @-@

Papyrus: NYEH HEH HEH HEH! I LIKE THAT FONT FACE! I’LL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT. I DON’T NEED TO SLEEP AS MANY HOURS AS HUMANS DO. AS FOR ENERGY: EXERCISE! TRAINING! YOU SHOULD JOIN UNDYNE AND ME WHEN WE GO RUNNING NEXT TIME!

You: I would. But I seriously think if I tried to keep up with you and Undyne, I’d burst into flames.

Papyrus: FLAMES? I DOUBT THAT. NEITHER ONE OF US USES FIRE MAGIC. I DO NOT KNOW WHY YOU WOULD WORRY ABOUT THAT.

Papyrus: OH! YOU ARE JOKING! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!

     You thought it kind of funny he typed out his own unique laugh all the time.

You: Thanks for pretending to find my joke humorous. I’ve gotta finish getting ready or I’ll be late to class. Have a good sleep when you get around to it! Tell Sans I said hi.

Papyrus: PLEASE TELL ME THAT WASN’T A PUN. I’LL PRETEND IT’S NOT EITHER WAY. MY LIFE IS PLAGUED BY INCIDENTAL PUNS! I WILL TELL SANS YOU SAID HI. I WILL NOT TELL HIM ABOUT ANY PUNS. ANYWAY…AGAIN, HAVE A GOOD DAY AT CLASSES! ;)

     You snorted at his last text, quickly pocketed your phone, and grabbed up your bag. You wiped at your eyes, deciding you were happy after all that he had heard you last night. Even if it was just because you now knew he was ok.  
  
     Classes yet again, were uneventful. You spent most of your second class doodling a grinning Papyrus in the margin of your notes. You felt good today. Your nerves were calm. For the most part. Maybe your meds were finally starting to work better? You let your mind wander back to a few months ago, when your therapist had told you that you would have to take medication. Maybe even for the rest of your life. You had been pretty upset that day, feeling pretty weak. What kind of person needed medicine just to cope with everyday things? She assured you that a lot of people were on medication and that you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it. The meds had made you feel dizzy and sleepy at first. But only for the first month or two. After, you found you had less and less ‘episodes.’ You figured the dizziness was worth it. Best not to dwell on that either.

     Soon, classes were over and you had a few hours until anime club. You figured you should probably do your homework but nah, you’d do it later. Right now you kind of wanted to head over to the book store and visit Sans. Though maybe you shouldn’t. What if you were bothering him? You all did just get together yesterday. You could just go under the pretense of buying a candy bar or something. The book store sold all sorts of things besides books after all. You pushed the protesting voice to the back of your mind, steeled your nerves, and headed over to the book store. Breathe. You got there and the store was empty, save Sans. He was wearing the exact same thing he wore yesterday. He was asleep, precariously tilted back in his chair on two legs. He was snoring. You worried about his safety. You didn’t want to startle him suddenly, afraid he may fall backwards. You approached him quietly, getting all the way up to the desk in front of him before he spoke, eyes still closed.

     “hey kid. it’s not nice to sneak up on someone when…” He peeked one eye socket open, righting his chair on four legs again. “oh. heh. it’s you. hey.”

     “Hi. I’m sorry I w-woke you up.” You were rubbing at the back of your right hand again.

     “nah. pal, don’t worry about it. there’s probably some rule against sleeping on the job anyway. feel free to visit me whenever. i get pretty bored here, so you’re doing me a favor. besides…” His lazy grin stretched further up his face. “someone willing to call out an ‘utter piece of garbage’ for disrespecting my cool brother? totally worth spending time with in my book.”

     Oh dear god. Papyrus told Sans. You groaned as you covered your blushing face with your hands. You knew you were blushing again. You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks. Sans snorted and you pulled your hands down so you could glare at him over the tops of your fingers. That just sent him into fits of laughter.

     “ha ha..stop with that face. heh, kid, you’re pretty hilarious. ha hah… heh… alright, alright. i’m sorry. i’m done… pfft.”

     “I’m glad you find my plight so ‘hilarious.’” You tried to keep glaring, but his laughter was infectious and you ended up smiling. When the laughter finally calmed down, you said, “In all seriousness though, I feel r-really bad about the whole thing. You all are so nice and I really like you all already. My roommate saw me run from your brother, Alphys, and Undyne the other night during one of m-my episodes, and decided it was because I was scared of the way they looked or something. I should have just told her then and there that she was wrong and should sh-shut her stupid mouth. But, I wanted to believe she was a good person. I’m sure she could be if she tried. Maybe I overreacted? I should p-probably talk to her. I dunno. Or maybe I’m just stupid.”

     Sans sat there listening to you quietly through your rambling, his head resting on his arms folded on the counter. “listen kid, i’ve been told i’m a pretty good judge of character. and i can tell already. you’re not stupid. you seem to care a lot about those around you, whether they deserve it or not. to the point where you work yourself into a panic worrying about what they’re thinking. how they’re feeling. to your own detriment. you’d probably rather beat yourself up mentally than cause a confrontation. i’m guessing you don’t openly get angry with people often. if ever. that should tell you something about the one who finally made you angry. maybe, i dunno, make you think about why.”

     …Wow. Accurate. Too accurate. And he had known you for like, what? A few hours tops? Scary. You realized you were gaping at him as he started laughing again.

     “pfft. these faces you make. you’re killing me. you’d be a terrible poker player. heh heh. kinda like a human version of p… heh… anyway. you’re alright, whether you believe it or not. you’ll come up with your answers eventually.”

     “So you do think I should talk to her?”

     “what do i know? heh, don’t look at me like i’m some sort of sage or therapist. i’m neither. i’ll tell you what a friend of mine always tells me: ‘you need to find your own answers. you’re the guide. you’re the map. so tell me, where does the arrow point to?’”

     “That’s… Pretty cheesy.” You frowned as he started chuckling again.

     “yeah. well. i thought it was gouda advice.”

     You groaned.

     “what’s the matter kid? these puns nacho type?”

     “Oh god, n-no. Stop.”

     “cheez wiz, tough audience.”

     “Pfft. Ha ha, how do you even?”

     “don’t worry. my jokes always get feta.”

     “No. That one wasn’t even… I’m leaving. I’ve g-got to get some homework done before I meet up with Alphys.”

     “so what? you’re just gonna leave me provolone?”

     “… Goodbye Sans. I’m never coming back.”

     “you know you’re already fondue this munster. you’ll brie back. later.”

     “Ha ha ha! L… Haha… Later.” You were still laughing as you made your way back to your dorm. Wow, this guy. You thought about his advice on your way back. The reasons why you got so mad. Maybe because your roomie had judged your friend without even knowing him? You knew first hand what that was like. To be judged based on appearances. People never seemed to think too highly of the stuttering, nervous mess of a girl. But no, you hadn’t gotten mad at her that first night. Hell, you made excuses for her in your head. Maybe just seeing the hurt in your new friend’s face was too much for you? Uug, your brain made no sense. Best not to think about it now. Concentrate on homework. You flopped down at your desk chair in your dorm, thankful your roommate wouldn’t be back until after you’d gone to anime club. Homework. Math. Math made more sense than your brain. Barely.


	4. Still Thursday 8/29/20XX: Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: So this chapter may a bit depressing at points. Also, mentions of past emotional abuse. Carry on.

Still Thursday, 8/29/20XX

     Luckily, it seemed you managed to finish your homework in good time. Because it was time to go to anime club! You found you were actually looking forward to it. You were still kind of anxious, but maybe more happy than terrified. As you neared your destination, you took a breath, and pushed open the door to the auditorium. There were a few less people there this time, and you quickly spotted Alphys… And Undyne in the back. They spotted you too and Undyne started to shout for you, but caught a not-so-subtle elbow from her girlfriend. She instead shot you a sharp, toothy grin. You were thankful your friend stopped her girlfriend from shouting across everyone at you. You quickly took your seat and Alphys gave you a timid smile while Undyne was still beaming at you.

     “Yo punk! I’m sorry for not respecting your boundaries the other night and all that jazz whatever Alphys said.” Alphys cut her a look and gave you an apologetic one. Undyne continued, clearly refusing to be derailed. “Eh, whatever. But listen! Oh man! ‘You utter piece of garbage?’ HA HA! That’s truly beautiful! You really did say all that! I can tell by the face you’re making right now! HA HA HA, OH MAN! I’M SO GLAD WE CLOSED EARLY TODAY SO I COULD BE HERE! HA HA HA!” You felt your face flush again as Undyne continued to cackle, loudly, actually slapping a webbed hand on her knee. The other students in the room seemed to be trying to pretend they didn’t hear her. Maybe too intimidated by her? Ug, that didn’t even matter. The real question was, what the hell? Did Papyrus just go and tell all his friends everything?  
  
     Alphys must have read the confusion on your face because she had her phone open to what looked like a social networking site and ‘coolskeleton95’s’ post was in the middle. You could guess who that was and yup, there it was all spelled out. Word for word. Well, he may have taken some liberties in the re-telling of his part in the story. How did a scarf even ‘billow majestically’ in an elevator without wind?

     “T-this is the Undernet networking site. Sort of message board that's linked in to the monster phones. Eheh.” Alphys put her phone away as she pat her girlfriend’s back, trying to help her calm down. You were again somewhat surprised to find that, while mortified, you were ok. You could handle this. Why were you so comfortable with Alphys, Undyne, Sans, and Papyrus? You were never comfortable around new people! Something about them was just so genuine and kind. Your musings were interrupted by the anime starting.   
  
     Seemed Undyne had seen the anime before too, as both she and Alphys kept looking over at you. Each time just before a particularly funny or emotional part. Jeez, at that rate, they may as well have spoiled the whole thing. After four episodes, anime club was done for the night again. Ah, so that would be the pattern for the club. Made sense. On the way back to the parking lot, where Papyrus was going to pick up the two girls again, Alphys and Undyne were whispering to each other. Undyne suddenly got a wicked grin and turned to you. Oh no. You were starting to recognize that look. That look portended awkward things. You looked to Alphys for help but she had her funny manic grin on her face too. Ok, this was bad.

     “Um… G-guys. Whatever you’re going to say, p-please don’t.” You started backing up slowly.

     “Ah, come on!” Undyne said, “And here I thought we were starting to become friends! You DO want to be friends with me too, right??” You gulped and nodded, tentatively looking at Alphys, who was still giving you that look. No help there.

     “Good! Cause we want to know ALL about you! And what better way for a bunch of girls to get to know each other than a SLEEPOVER! That’s right, punk! TONIGHT!” You started to open your mouth to protest. You had classes tomorrow! You didn’t really know these girls that well! You’d be intruding! Papyrus would probably have to drive you back so early tomorrow and that’s not fair to him! Undyne cut off whatever you were going to say. “OH NO you don’t! This is happening! Go get your things! We’ll wait for you. We are going to have SO MUCH FUN!!!!”

     You again glanced at Alphys, one last desperate attempt for salvation. “I-it’ll be fun. We’ll wait. And if th-this is too much for you, just send a text when you get to your room.” Sigh, no real help at all. Though she did offer you an out.

     With nothing to say, you headed back to your room to pack your things. You were worried. Worried about being trapped at their apartment. Worried you’d do something to embarrass yourself. Worried about putting them out. About putting Papyrus out. But you hadn’t ever stayed over at anyone’s place before. It may be fun, you assured yourself. You liked Alphys. You were starting to like Undyne, now that you were getting to know her a little. She may be loud and have like zero mind to mouth filter, but she was a good person too. Maybe you could do this? If you just remembered to breathe.

     Ah, as you got to your room, you remembered Becky would be there. You didn’t want a confrontation. You steeled yourself and slowly opened your dorm door. Becky was in there. Typing. She gave you an almost bored glance and continued typing. Ah, silence you could handle. You quietly packed up an overnight bag and headed for the door. You thought about saying something but no, you couldn’t think of anything. Silence was better. Apparently your roommate agreed because she said nothing and didn’t spare you another glance as you quietly exited the room, bag in hand. Well. Undyne’s plan was actually sounding more and more appealing. The girl across the hall from you opened her door. She gave you a thumbs up as you watched her walk past you down the hall toward the showers. You shrugged, and headed down to meet your friends.

     Papyrus was already standing with the girls.  Tonight he was wearing his scarf and gloves, shorts, boots, and a t-shirt that had a graphic of a bag of ‘chisps’ on the front. In sharpie, written above it, were the worlds ‘All that and.’ Oh. Oh wow. You smiled and tried not to giggle. Undyne had a hand on his shoulder and was howling with laughter while Papyrus was blushing orange (you could only assume it was a blush) and fiddling with his gloves. Alphys was shaking her head and giggling nervously. When she spotted you, she nudged her girlfriend. Undyne quickly wiped her eye and coughed into her hand, composing herself. Papyrus wiped at his forehead, then scratched the back of his skull, and then settled for putting his hands on his hips. You…probably didn’t even want to know what that was all about. You chose not to wonder.

     “H-HUMAN! DID YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY AT CLASSES? THEN FUN AT THE ANIME CLUB? I HEAR YOU NEED A RIDE IN MY FANCY CAR TO UNDYNE AND ALPHYS’! AND THEN A RIDE TO CLASSES TOMORROW! FEAR NOT, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HAPPY TO DRIVE HIS FRIENDS WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GO!!!”

     He beamed brightly at you. You smiled back. “Thank you.”

     “YOU’RE MOST WELCOME!”

     “Uh... I… Like your shirt. It’s funny.”

     “FUNNY?”

     “I... I meant cool.”

     “IS FUNNY COOL?”

     “I-it can be. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. They can be mutually…. Inclusive. Definitely inclusive. Both. A-anyway, it’s great. I like it.”

     “WELL… THANK YOU! FOR THE COMPLIMENT!”

     “Y-you’re welcome.”

     “Pfft…ow! Hey!” Undyne was rubbing her side where she probably caught another elbow from her girlfriend. “Alright ya total nerds, let’s get this party on the road! Alphys and I call back!” She flashed you a toothy grin as Alphys tried to stifle another giggle and climbed into the back seat. You took the front passenger seat.

     Ok…what was going on with your friends? They all seemed to be in on this joke you weren’t a part of. It was…frustrating. You trusted though, that they weren’t being malicious or anything. They did seem to be laughing at you though. Or were they laughing at Papyrus? He seemed… Sort of flustered. Either way, your new friends did not seem malicious. You wanted to trust them. Hell, you kind of did at this point as you’d remained relatively calm. Though you must have been making a face because Papyrus was giving you a worried look as he entered the car. Ah, you didn’t want him worried! You quickly schooled your expression and smiled at him. He returned the smile and pulled the car out of the school lot.  
  
     You were glad it was August. The ride in the convertible was super windy! To the point where conversation was nearly impossible. Though Alphys and Undyne seemed to be getting along ok in that department as they cupped their hands and talked into each others ears (ear holes and fins respectively). You couldn’t hear anything they were saying. Papyrus had his intense concentration on the road and was doing the exact speed limit. You recalled him reprimanding Undyne the other night for jumping out of a moving car. Also when he cited the campus gua... Er... Security guard rules about using magic only when necessary to Sans. You figured he was sort of a stickler for rules. The thought made you smile.

     So your friends lived about 20 minutes away from campus. Which meant you should leave by no later than 7:30AM tomorrow if you wanted to make it to class on time. Papyrus promised he would meet you at the car at 7:20AM sharp. Turned out he and Sans lived on the ground floor and Alphys and Undyne were on the third floor. He looked almost sad to leave and hesitated, until Undyne gave him a shove towards his door. “No boys allowed, punk! You’ll get to see her tomorrow. We get her now!”

     You were afraid she might try to start shoving you too so you hurried to followed Alphys towards the elevators. Their apartment building was... Really nice! As you got off the elevator, you were greeted by a bear couple. They smiled and nodded at you all politely and waited for you all to exit before getting into the elevator themselves.

     The girls’ apartment was very nice indeed! Three bedroom, 2 full bathrooms, a den, a kitchen, and a cute little kitchen nook with bay windows looking out into the surrounding woods. What did they even do for a living to afford this?

     “N-nice, right?” Alphys smiled. “The university p-pays me pretty well for the research I do for them.” Wait. You thought she said she was a student working on her masters degree? She caught your confused look. “Oh. Eh heh. I used to be the Royal Scientist. Back in the Underground. Up here though, a l-lot of places require a degree to take you seriously so while I do work, I’m also a student.”

     “You look impressed, punk. You should be! My babycakes easily finished all your human tests and requirements for a bachelors degree just last year. In under 2 years! She’s suuper smart! It’s a shame paperwork means so much here. Ug, ALWAYS PAPERS!” Undyne suddenly grabbed the couch and hoisted it over her head like she was going to throw it, before Alphys cleared her throat and Undyne blushed green a little. She set the couch back down. Well. That was something. You were glad you hadn’t taken a seat right away on said couch.

     “Ah..ehehe. A-anyway, this apartment building is actually home to a majority of the monsters that live here…students, faculty, and locals. Seems the gold from the underground is worth a lot on the surface. Though n-not everyone is nice to our kind. Just last year, a fox monster was assaulted on school grounds.” What? You had never heard about that. As far as you knew, your campus was supposed to be relatively safe.

     “Yeah, not surprised you didn’t hear about that one.” Undyne said, reading your expression. She flopped onto the couch. Alphys joined her and you sat across on the love seat. “The school covered it up pretty well. Offered to pay for the medical expenses, though luckily he had healing magic. School hired two monster security guards to rotate night shift. Yeah, Paps is one of ‘em. Ha ha, he was ELATED! He always wanted to be a guard! I actually trained him! Couldn’t be prouder!” She smiled wistfully before seemingly catching herself, clearing her throat, and continued, “Yeah, well, I train a lot of dweebs! Got a gym just down the road with a large field out back and everything! Oh man, you should see when some of them go all out! I’ve already had to replace the WHOLE side of the building! TWICE!”

     Alphys continued, seemingly steering the discussion back on track. “T-the reason we’re telling you about all this, is we want you t-to be aware. People aren’t always k-kind to monsters. Or their friends. E-even the human friends. Especially the human friends. Especially humans who…d-date monsters.” Wow. Ok. You had no idea your friends had it this bad. You were so glad you decided to stand with Alphys the night you met her, even if things did end up badly. Though, in retrospect, they really didn’t. You ultimately made four friends this week. Friends who were kind enough to share such a heavy topic with you, just to make sure you stayed safe. They were all really amazing!

     They were both watching you intently, almost like they were waiting for you to realize something or say something. Oh! Oh no. Did they really think that?! “Y-you all t-think I’d stop being your friend just because of what others think? N-no! No way! Ah, I know I’ve only known you all for a few days, but you all are already important people to me!”

     Undyne looked at you almost frustrated, “Just us?”

     “Ah! Papyrus and Sans too. That’s…really n-nice of you to worry about my safety. But I won’t give you all up! Ah, I m-mean unless you all get tired of me or something…” You were rubbing the back of your right hand again.

     Alphys smiled and Undyne groaned. “Ug, if you weren’t such a mushy wuss, I’d chuck you out of the window!! We like you already too, ya big nerd! We don’t want you to stop being our friend. We just want you to be aware of the dangers out there.” She jumped to her feet suddenly, startling you. “AND FRIGGIN REALIZE THAT P….hpmf mf…”

     Alphys had leapt onto her girlfriend’s back, her hands around her mouth. “Ah..hehe..U-Undyne…sweetheart…w-why don’t you go make us all some tea?” She gave her a sidelong glance and Undyne nodded. Alphys released her, and slid back onto the couch.

     “Bah, fine! But this isn’t over!” She gave you a one-eyed glare, pointing a webbed finger in your face. “MY SHIP WILL SAIL!” And with that, she stormed off to the kitchen.

     Ok, you were definitely missing something. Alphys just laughed nervously and asked about you. You told her about your love of drawing, about how you liked to cook, and of course read shoujo manga. Turned out you both were following several of the same series and you each gleefully discussed your various waifus as Undyne returned with the tea. Alphys told you a little about life in the underground and about how when she first confessed to Undyne she was thrown into a trash can. You laughed at this. Your friends were crazy! As you all were finishing your tea, Alphys asked about your family.

     “Ah… A-actually, it was just me and my mother. S-she and I were never really close. Then last year… Last year she… She….” Alphys and Undyne were watching you intently again. You felt your heart rate start to pick up. Oh no. No. Not now. You shakily placed your teacup on the table, rubbing your right hand, trying to remember to breathe.

     “H-hey. Subject change. Let’s talk about…eh…” Alphs started to say. It was too late. The cascade had started. You were starting to sweat. “Eh… So actually i-it’s probably time to s-sleep for the night! Eh… Guest room is end of the hall, l-last door on the left. Y-you go on ahead. I’ll l-leave your bag outside the door.” Alphys said nothing more as you all but bolted for the guest room. Undyne actually stayed quiet too.

     Shit. You felt awful. Here you’d ruined yet another visit with your stupid issues. Stupid. Your mother had been right. You really were a pathetic waste of space. You could hear her voice in your head. ‘What’s wrong with you? Can’t you just act like a normal person?’ Breathe. ’It’s no wonder your boyfriend ended up leaving you.’ Breathe. Then, she had looked so stricken as you got out of the car. The last time. You didn’t even get to say… No. No, you wouldn’t remember that. Not that. You had your hands around the sides of your head, laying in fetal position in the dark room on the bed. It took you a while, but you slowly started to calm. Ug, you were all sweaty. You remembered Alphys saying she would leave your bag outside the door. You were grateful she and Undyne did not try to come in to ask if you were ok or check on you or anything. Like they understood your need for space. You slowly cracked your room door and saw your bag sitting there outside as promised. Neatly placed on top was a towel and a note letting you know they had gone to bed, where the guest room shower was, and to knock on their room door (last room on the right) if you needed anything. How long had you been in the room? You looked at your phone. Ah, that long, huh? You decided to shower and change into your pajamas and sleep.


	5. Friday 08/30/20XX: Roommates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos. They mean a lot to me! ^-^

Friday, 8/30/20XX

     The next day, your phone alarm woke you up at 6AM. You dressed, finished your morning routine, and exited your room around the same time Undyne was ducking through the front door, looking all sweaty.

     “Mornin, punk!” She greeted you cheerfully. You were thankful she was not looking at you with pity or asking if you were ok or anything. “Alphys up yet?”

     You glanced down the hall at the closed room door. Undyne laughed, “Ha ha, guess not. You know, I really should have woken you lazy losers up to go running with Paps and me.” She gave you a huge, toothy grin and continued, “But you know, wouldn’t want you to BURST INTO FLAMES! HAHAHA!”

     “Oh my god! Does Papyrus just report everything anyone ever says or texts to him?” You grumbled, pulling out a kitchen chair and flopping onto it.  
  
     “HAHA, something like that. Oh! You want some breakfast or something? Of course you do! We’ve got some leftover curry or I could whip up some omurice or something.”

     Ha ha, weebs. It made you happy. “Hah, no thanks. I usually don’t eat breakfast before class. Thank you though. And thank you for letting me stay here. I had fun… Until… Yeah. I’m sorry about that…”

     Undyne was grinning at you again. “Haha, man. You don’t have to thank me so much or say sorry or any of that mess. We’re friends! Friends get together! They accept each other! OH! I know something that won’t be accepted though! I’m gonna text Papyrus that you refuse to eat breakfast! He’ll be so upset at you!! It’ll be HILARIOUS!” She quickly whipped her phone out of her pocket and started typing.

     “Ah… U-Undyne… D-don’t!” You stood up, reaching for her phone.

     “Woah! Punk’s coming at me!” She held it above her head, out of your reach. “I haven’t hit send yet. You wanna stop me? Do ya? COME AT ME, BRO!” Maybe it was her constant good-natured teasing making you more bold around her, or maybe you’d just had enough. But you found yourself filled with determination. Determination to stop her from sending that text! You leapt from your chair and dashed after her. She was now actually cackling loudly while leaping and dodging over furniture. Dang, you were out of shape! Alphys emerged from her room, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She yelped as Undyne suddenly hoisted her up like a shield.

     “Alphys! The human’s attacking me! Quick! Stop her with your… SCIENCE! HAHAHA… Shit!” In Undyne’s haste to pick up Alphys, she’d dropped her phone. You made a dive for it while Undyne tried to kick it out of your reach. Somehow, though, you managed to grab it as Alphys wiggled out of Undyne’s arms. You laughed victoriously but let out an angry squawk when you saw she already sent the text. By the looks of it just before the whole ‘battle for the phone’ started. Undyne was doubled over laughing.

     “Seriously. It’s too early for this. I don’t even wanna know.” Alphys grumbled as she turned to go back in her room. Undyne tried to hug her, cooing, “Grumpykins, grumpalumpigus, grumpydoodles,” but Alphys shoved her away and closed the door.

     You felt bad for waking her up. Undyne just grinned at you. “HAHAHA, don’t worry about it, loser! Alphys is always grumpy early in the morning! It’s ADORABLE!”

     “Well, anyway,” you said, straightening your now disheveled clothes, “I’ve gotta head down to meet Papyrus. And his ‘hilarious’ upsetness apparently.”

     “Haha, well as much as I’d like to witness the spectacle, I’ve got to make breakfast for Ms. Grumpykins before she gets ready for her classes later. We’ll abduct you again! SOON! Be ready for it!” You laughed nervously as you gathered up your bag and headed to the door.

     You were a little early but you didn’t want to make Papyrus wait since he was nice enough to drive you back to campus. Apparently, you weren’t early enough because Papyrus was already at his car, securing the top up. Guess it did look overcast today.

     “Good morning.” You called, “S-sorry I made you wait.”

     Papyrus turned around to face you, grinning brightly. “NONSENSE HUMAN! YOU’RE EARLY! THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SHOULD BE SORRY FOR!” He narrowed his sockets a bit, putting a gloved hand on his hip. Today’s outfit was the red scarf, gloves, shorts, and a shirt with ‘Dude’ screen printed on the front and ‘Cool’ written in sharpie above it. Did he make or modify all of his shirts? “WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SORRY FOR IS MISSING. THE MOST. IMPORTANT. MEAL. OF THE DAY!!!” He shoved what looked like a sandwich into your hands. It had spaghetti in it. Spaghetti sandwich?

     “Um…”

     “NO NEED TO THANK ME HUMAN! I CAN TELL BY YOUR COMPLEX EXPRESSION THAT YOU ARE MOST IMPRESSED WITH MY CULINARY EXPERTISE! WHAT BETTER WAY TO EAT SPAGHETTI ON THE GO? I AM A GENIUS! NYEH HEH HEH!”

     He really did have a thing for spaghetti, huh? He was watching you eagerly. Oh! He wanted you to eat it now? Much as you disliked eating in front of people, you couldn’t disappoint him. You tentatively took a small bite. The taste was… Actually pretty good! It was actually really good, you realized, as you took more small bites. You nodded and made a happy hum as you worked on finishing your ‘breakfast.’

     “I’M GLAD YOU ARE ENJOYING IT!” He was smiling broadly with sparkles in his eye sockets. “SINCE COMING TO THE SURFACE I HAVE HAD ACCESS TO MORE AND MORE RECIPES, SAUCES, TYPES OF PASTA, COOKING CLASSES… NYEH HEH! I WAS SURPRISED HOW MUCH I HAD TO LEARN AT FIRST! FOR INSTANCE, THAT GLITTER AND SPARKLY ROCKS AND OTHER ‘NON-EDIBLE’ THINGS DO NOT MAKE GOOD SEASONINGS!” You almost choked on your last bite, deciding to inspect the rest of your sandwich…

     “I SAID I DON’T USE NON-EDIBLE THINGS AS SEASONING ANYMORE!!” He suddenly squinted his eye sockets and rubbed a gloved hand under his jaw. “THOUGH IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS’ COOKING METHODS… MAYBE TOMORROW… YOU CAN COME OVER TO SANS’ AND MY HOME? AND WE CAN COOK? I REMEMBER YOU SAID YOU LIKE COOKING! SO AS YOUR COOL FRIEND, I’D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE YOU OVER TO MY HOUSE! NOT BECAUSE I’M JEALOUS YOU STAYED OVER WITH ALPHYS AND UNDYNE! I DON’T GET JEALOUS!!”

     You finished your sandwich while stifling a laugh. “Sure. Sounds like fun!”

     “GOODY! I MEAN, OF COURSE YOU WANT TO! YOU’RE WELCOME ANY TIME! WELL SPEAKING OF TIME, WE NEED TO GET GOING IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT TO YOUR CLASSES ON TIME!” He rushed around to open your car door for you before rushing back to get in on the driver’s side. He may not get jealous. Cough. But you were sure jealous of his seemingly endless energy.

     As he sat down in the driver’s seat, you heard a loud fart echo in the car. Uh… You were momentarily shocked and confused, until Papyrus, his face bright orange, pulled a whoopee cushion out from under himself. “NGGGH, SANS!!!” Oh, oh god! You couldn’t help it, you burst into laughter. “IT’S… IT’S NOT FUNNY! HE’S ALWAYS PRANKING ME! ALWAYS BOONDOGGLING INSTEAD OF BEING PRODUCTIVE!” The word ‘boondoggle’ just made you laugh harder.

     It took you a while to get ahold of yourself, and Papyrus was clearly not amused. “Ha ha, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It was m-maybe… A little funny though. You’re lucky.” He shot you an incredulous look before concentrating on backing out the car. “No really, I mean it! You know he trolls you because he loves you. It’s obvious. I grew up an only child so I don’t know what it’s like to have a sibling.”

     “FRUSTRATING. SOMETIMES. HE’S ACTUALLY REALLY SMART! HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT SCI-FI STUFF BUT LIKE REAL LIFE SCI-FI! HE HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL, BUT HE WASTES HIS EFFORTS ON PRANKS AND DOING AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE! I KNOW IT’S NOT MAKING HIM HAPPY! FRUSTRATING.” He was gripping the steering wheel and gritting his teeth a bit as he drove.

     “Aw, you’re a good brother. I think it’s nice how you both care and look out for each other. You’re both so lucky! I’m sure Sans will figure himself out eventually.”

     Papyrus’ expression brightened a little. “WOWIE! YOU’RE RIGHT, KIND HUMAN! WE SKELETON BROTHERS ARE THE BEST! NO NEED TO BE WORRIED, RIGHT? NYEH HEH HEH HEH!”

     Sigh. He acted simple and overly cheerful, but you were starting to realize there was a lot more to him than that. You could tell he worried about his brother. He wasn’t as clueless as he portrayed himself to be. His kindness and care for others was genuine. You were also starting to notice he definitely seemed overly sensitive. You could relate to that last part. You offered him a smile and nod as he glanced your way seemingly for reassurance.

     The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, oddly enough. Save for some random chatter about the weather. You soon arrived at the school, about 20 minutes before classes started. Sweet! You had time to drop off your overnight bag in your dorm room. Papyrus parked the car and again rushed out to open your door for you.

     “I WOULD WALK YOU UP TO YOUR DORM BUT… AH… I WOUDLN’T WANT TO UPSET YOUR ROOMMATE AGAIN. NYEH… HEH.” You instantly bristled at that, getting angry again at how she treated him.

     “No. More like I don’t want expose YOU to HER toxicity. She… She’s just mean! Again, I am so, so sorry…”

     “HUMAN! YOU DON’T NEED TO KEEP APOLOGIZING! HAVE YOU NOT… MADE AMENDS WITH HER YET?”

     “…..” You glowered.

     “THAT LOOKS LIKE A NO. YOU SHOULD TALK TO HER! JUST BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND HOW COOL I AM, DOES NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT BE FRIENDS! I AM SURE YOU BOTH COULD BE GREAT FRIENDS! EVERYONE CAN BE GOOD IF THEY TRY. I WOULD BE… Sad… To Think You Could Not Be Friends…. Because Of Me… So, So Sad.” He squinted his sockets and looked at the ground, slumping his shoulders, all of a sudden looking so ridiculously sad.

     “W-what? P-Papyrus, no! Please don’t think this is because of… Of you or anything! She… She was just so horrible! Ah! But please don’t be so sad! I-I’ll talk to her! I promise!”

     He instantly brightened up, too instantly, grinning widely. “EXCELLENT! I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ALL ABOUT IT WHILE WE COOK TOMORROW! HURRY UP, OR YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!” He waved enthusiastically and got in his car, driving away. Wait… Did he just… Manipulate you into promising to talk to your roommate? Oooh… That sneaky….

     You got to your dorm room, and crap, your roommate was in there eating a bagel while playing on her phone. She startled when you got in there and looked like she wanted to say something, hesitated, then took a breath and spoke. “Look… Okay… So I saw you pull up with the gr… The skele… Okay, I don’t know the politically correct term and I don’t remember his name…”

     “Papyrus,” you said flatly.

     She continued, “Right… Papyrus… My bad. Anyway, I’m assuming you stayed over at his house. Look, I didn’t know he was your boyfriend, ok? I mean, I was a little shocked… Not that I’m judging you or anyth…”

     “W-what? Woah! W-we’re just friends! I-I actually stayed with Alphys and Undyne! I-I… H-he just lives close by and drove me back to s-school!” You quickly explained.

     “Okaaay…” She was now looking very confused. “So, like, you’re in a threesome with the other two monster chicks then…”

     “UGH! N-no! Why do I h-have to be dating any of them?? We’re all j-just friends. Friends!! I stayed over with Alphys and Undyne in their guest room.”

     “Oh.” She seemed… Disappointed? Really?

     “Well… Anyway. I’m like sorry and stuff I insulted your… Friend, okay? I mean, I can’t really help it if I find them all kind of creepy but I understand freaks flock together or whatever, but we still have to room together. I don’t want this semester to be awkward. Just… Text me or something next time you bring one of them up here, okay? I’ll make sure I keep my mouth shut or leave the room or whatever. Cool?”

     That was… Ugh… Probably her best attempt at an apology. She was trying. And you promised Papyrus you’d talk to her. Sigh. Deep breath. “I… Appreciate your apology. I’m sorry I r-raised my voice and insulted you.”

     “Great!” she chirped, smiling, “Then that’s settled! Everything’s good again. That sure is a relief!” She returned to playing with her phone. You felt like you should try to get her to understand your friends weren’t ‘creepy’ or ’freaks.’ You really didn’t care as much if she thought you were a freak. You were pretty sure if you tried though, you’d just end up getting angry with her again. You decided to drop it for now. Besides… Crap… It had gotten that late?? You really needed to hurry now to make it to class on time!

     Classes, yet again, were spent with you barely listening while you doodled pictures in the margins of your notes. You probably should have paid more attention, as you had your first tests coming up week after next. After classes, you decided you’d make a quick visit to Sans before studying and finishing up homework. Unlike in high school, you were determined to finish your homework on Fridays so you could enjoy the rest of the weekend. Heh, we’d see how well that worked Ms. ‘everything done at the last minute.’ No, this time would be different.

     You were surprised to find a small group of students loitering in the book store. Some were groaning and others were laughing while Sans told some… Pretty terrible jokes. Also, did he ever change his clothes? You stood to the back of the store, not wanting to be all up in the crowd of people but happy to listen at a distance. Sans really seemed to be enjoying himself. Eventually, the students started to file out as he declared he was ‘skela-done with jokes… For now.’ One of the group gave him a high-five on the way out.

     “i see ya back there, kiddo. have fun last night?” Sans called to you as the last of the students left.

     You smiled and nodded as you walked up to his register desk island thing, saying, “S-seems like you’re making some new friends.”

     “heh, yeah. there are some good kids at this school. so, have somethin’ you wanna talk about?”

     “No. Just stopping by to visit before I go finish homework and study. W-want it all done before the weekend. Oh, speaking of which, Papyrus invited me over to you all’s place tomorrow to cook… Dunno if he told you or not. Is it ok?”

     “yeah, he told me. was pretty excited about it actually. sure, why not? he’s gotten a lot better about not setting things on fire. should be safe enough.” You laughed nervously. He was joking, right? Right? He wasn’t laughing.

     “Ha ha, cool. W-well… Anyway, I was happy to see you having so much fun entertaining everyone! Have you ever thought about doing comedy at clubs and such?”

     “eh, used to. in the underground. just haven’t, i dunno, felt like doing that again regularly. who knows. maybe i just don’t have the… guts for it anymore?”

     You groaned, but chuckled despite yourself. “Alright, I’m gonna head out.” You don’t know what possessed you all of a sudden, but you added, “Hope you’re not too… Bonely without anyone here.”

     “heh heh! seems i’m becoming a bad influence. well, don’t worry about leaving, i’m used to having… no body around.”

     Uugh.


	6. Saturday 08/31/20XX: Confusing Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all have a happy Friday! Thanks as always for reading!

Saturday, 8/31/20XX

     Last night, your roommate left for a frat party. She had made a half-attempt to invite you but you declined and she didn’t argue. She said she was hoping to ‘get lucky’ and might not be home that night. Ugh, you didn’t want to think about that.

     Apparently, though, your roommate had gotten her wish as she didn’t return that night. The blissfully quiet room was all yours. Which meant you could sleep in! You realized this happily as you noted the time as 7AM, and rolled over to get some more sleep. You made yourself into a happy human burrito as you rolled up more into your covers. Ping. Wha? Who the heck was texting you this early? You groaned, and decided ignore it. Ping. Ping Ping. Still ignoring it. There was a sharp tapping at your door. No. Whyyyy?? You almost fell out of your lofted bed. More insistent tapping!

     “H-hold on!” You climbed down, in your bleariness momentarily forgetting you were clothed only in pj’s and your hair was a disaster. You opened the door to find an enthusiastic Papyrus.  He smiled at you, glanced nervously over your head, then beamed at you more fully. Probably happy your roommate wasn’t there.

     “HUMAN! I LIKE YOUR NEW HAIRSTYLE! ARE YOU READY TO GO?”

     Huh? What? Go? You stared at him blankly, mouth slightly ajar.

     “WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE!!! DON’T TELL ME YOU FORGOT ABOUT COOKING WITH ME? AH! PERHAPS YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS! TODAY IS SATURDAY! THE DAY YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO!!! OH!” He barged into your room, ducking under your doorway and brushing past you while you stood there dumbly holding the door. Seriously? It was barely past 7AM! “YOUR ROOM IS SO… COZY! AND LOOK AT YOUR FINE ACTION FIGURES! I RECOGNIZE THESE! ACTION FIGURES FROM THE ANIME, LIKE ALPHYS’ RIGHT? NYEH HEH HEH HEH! I TOO LIKE ACTION FIGURES!”

     “Papyrus.”

     “OH! AND LOOK AT YOUR FINE DRAWINGS DECORATING YOUR… NOTES? HOW CLEVER OF YOU TO DECORATE THE MARGINS OF YOUR NOTEBOOKS!”

     “Papyrus.”

     “THEY’RE SO DETAILED! YOU REALLY DO LIKE ART, HUH?”

     “Papyrus!” He flinched, and turned toward you. “Seriously… You’re really nice to admire all my stuff and all, and it’s n-nice of you to come all the way up here to get me. But. It’s early. Too early. In the morning. I haven’t even showered yet, I’ve barely woken up, and w-we didn’t even agree on a time to meet! You… You need to give me more notice.”

     “But… But… I Texted You… And Other Mornings You Were Up This Early… And I Was Excited You Were Coming Over…” He kind of pouted, squinting his eye sockets down at you and twisting his gloved hands together. Uuuugh, you couldn’t resist a sad Papyrus and you had the sneaking suspicion he knew it already.

     “Alright! Alright… J-just let me shower and get my stuff together. Jeez.”

     He actually squealed with delight and almost hugged you, but stopped himself at the last second, scratching the back of his skull. Orange lightly dusted his cheeks. “AHEM… SORRY HUMAN. I WILL WAIT HERE AND ADMIRE YOUR ART. TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED!”

     Sigh. So much for a restful morning. On your way to the shower, the girl who lived across from you gave you a nod and sipped her coffee slowly. You nodded back. Your neighbor… She was… Unusual, you mused.

     You finished up getting ready, pulled your wet hair into a ponytail, and made your way back to your dorm. You felt a little guilty for kind of getting irritated at Papyrus earlier. He was just excited about hanging out after all. When you got back to the room, Papyrus was sitting in your chair. He had an unreadable expression while he was staring at one of your doodles and didn’t notice you enter. You looked over to see which one he was looking at and… No. Oh no. You had forgotten you had drawn a picture of him the other day! It was a little more than a doodle… Oh god. Did he know it was him? Well… It was probably pretty obvious what with the details of the gloved hands, scarf, and I dunno… being a skeleton! He finally noticed you standing there, quickly snapped the notebook closed, and blushed.

     “H-HEY HUMAN! UM… R-READY TO GO?” You must have been blushing too, because Papyrus quickly looked away, scratching the back of his skull again.

     “Ah… S-sure. L-let’s go.” You both made your way to his car. We was being oddly quiet for once. Was he that offended by the picture? It wasn’t meant to be offensive! You didn’t even know why you had drawn him! Arg, you had to find a way to apologize or something. Maybe he wasn’t even thinking about that? Maybe he was just tired? Wait… Didn’t he work last night? And now he was going to hang out with you all day?

     “Um… Hey. Aren’t you m…”

     “I’M NOT MISUNDERSTANDING ANYTHING!” He cut you off (you now noticed his skull was slightly sweaty and he was blushing a little). “I LIKE YOUR DRAWINGS AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND YOUR PLATONIC FEELINGS OF FRIENDSHIP TOWARDS ME! I KNOW YOU DON’T WANT ME TO TOUCH YOU! I LIKE YOU A LOT! IN A… A PLATONIC WAY TOO!”

     “…maybe tired after your night shift?” you finished lamely. “Uh…Yeah. Ditto…” You really didn’t know what else to say to that.

     “OH. NYEH…HEH…I…UM…I Am Not Tired…”

     Well. You still didn’t know what to say as you both silently got into his car, though he still opened your door for you. Why did you feel kind of… Not happy? Papyrus seemed kind of not happy too. Maybe he didn’t want to hang out anymore? But he hadn’t said anything and he was still driving you back to his house. What happened? The car top was up still. He was giving the road ahead his utmost concentration as he hunched over the wheel. You noticed he was wearing just a normal white collared shirt and longer shorts than usual with his scarf and gloves.

     You soon arrived at the apartment and he was trudging over to open your door, but you decide to open it for yourself as sitting there waiting would have been kind of awkward. He paused as you got out and closed the door and he looked… Kind of down.

     “Um… Papyrus. A-are you ok? Cause y-you seem sort of… Not ok…”

     “I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, FRIEND! I AM SO OK, FRIEND! I AM THE EPITOME OF OK! FRIEND, ARE YOU OK?” He was grinning widely. It looked… Kind of fake for him.

     “Y-yeah. Just making sure…”

     He gave you one last too-wide grin, and went to open his house door. As soon as you were inside, he said, “I HAVE TO GO… UM… FIX MY HAIR!! I’LL BE RIGHT BACK! MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME… JUST NOT IN MY ROOM!!” And with that, he ran straight for his room and slammed the door. That… Wasn’t even believable. What was going on with him?  
  
     You almost screamed when you heard a low voice behind you, “what the hell is that all about?”

     “S-Sans! You scared the daylights outta me! Wha…” He was staring at you with squinted sockets, the lights in them barely pin-pricks.

     “you. me. kitchen. now.” And with that, he turned and started walking. Uh… You followed him. For the first time, you were actually a little afraid of Sans. He seemed… Kind of pissed off.

     The layout of their apartment was almost exactly like Alphys’ and Undyne’s, minus the bay window since the brothers’ was a middle unit. The kitchen was the furthest point removed from the bedrooms in the back. He turned to you and said, “start talking.”

     You swallowed and stuttered, “I… I don’t know what h-happened! H-he showed up at my place and w-woke me up but I wasn’t mad or anything, slightly tired and m-maybe annoyed. But… But all was fine! My roommate wasn’t even there! I w-went down the hall and showered and g-got ready and he was l-looking through the pictures I drew in my notes… Oh god. I may have… He may have found one I drew that was of him… B-but it wasn’t a bad picture! I don’t even know why I drew him j-just standing and smiling! I draw all sorts of things that make me h-happy! I dunno if he was offended or what but he got quiet and th-then on the way to the car I went to ask him if he was tired after night shift and he blurted out that he understood m-my platonic feelings or whatever and that he l-liked me a lot platonically and I said ‘ditto’ and then… And then… I don’t know w-what happened!” You were starting to shake and tear up. Oh god, you couldn’t cry now!

     Sans’ eye sockets widened and the lights in them brightened. “woah! hey, buddy, take it easy. here, sit down.” You took a seat at their kitchen table and he handed you a tissue. You took it. Why were you so upset? He let out a huff. “hey, listen. it’s ok. i’m sorry. look, this… sounds like a misunderstanding. wait here. i’m going to go talk to paps. you didn’t do anything wrong.”

     You really didn’t want to think too hard about anything at the moment. You also kind of wanted someone to talk to, so you texted Alphys and told her everything. She sent a single text back: she was on her way down. Not wanting to disturb the brothers, you slipped out the front door just before she arrived.

     You must have looked as not good as you felt because she just took one look at you and asked, “C-can I give you a hug?” You nodded and she wrapped her arms around you, and you hugged her back, pressing your face to the scaly ridges on top of her head. You noticed they were actually kind of soft and warm.

     “D-do you want me to text Sans and tell him you’re coming up with me?” She asked, pulling back a little to look up at you.

     “N-no. I was actually l-looking forward to cooking with Papyrus. I just don’t understand w-what happened. I w-wish I could take back whatever happened b-because I know I upset him somehow and I seem to keep doing that and I…I just don’t understand…”

     “Ssh. It’s ok. I think both y-you and Papyrus are just too… Overly sensitive for your own good. Ehehe, monsters are actually naturally more emotionally sensitive than humans. I’ve noticed s-some humans are a lot like us when it comes to being emotional. You are definitely one of those humans. It’s not a b-bad thing though. It’s probably why we all became close so quickly. Monsters tend to be like that too… G-getting close quickly. Humans, not so much. Usually.” She smiled up at you. So she was saying you kind of acted more like a monster than a human? You didn’t know how to feel about that, though you knew she meant it as a compliment.

     “A-anyway. Sans is right, this is all a misunderstanding. You all will be ok. I think you two just need to… T-talk.” You sniffled and smiled at Alphys. She really was a good friend. Ug, you hoped you didn’t snot on her. No, it didn’t look like it. Ping. Papyrus sent you a text. You had to scroll through the four from earlier this morning to get to it.

Papyrus: GOOD MORNING HUMAN! ARE YOU AWAKE?  
Papyrus: I HOPE SO BECAUSE I JUST ARRIVED BACK ON CAMPUS!  
Papyrus: I BET YOU HAVEN’T EATEN BREAKFAST YET. I CAN MAKE YOU SOME WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE APARTMENT! I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU! ;)  
Papyrus: HUMAN, ANSWER YOUR DOOR! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS WAITING OUTSIDE! TODAY WE SHALL HANG OUT AND GAIN MORE FRIENDSHIP LEVELS!

Papyrus: Did you leave?

     Ah, he thought you left! And he didn’t even type in all caps like usual! You quickly opened the door to shout in, “No! I’m… Right… Here…” Papyrus was standing there with his hand out, poised as if ready to open the door. You both stood there staring at each other until Alphys cleared her throat.

     “W-well, I’ve got to get back upstairs. Lots of fanfic… I mean… Research papers to write.” She patted your arm. “You c-call me if you need anything ever. Ok?”

     You smiled and nodded at her and she smiled and waved at Papyrus who waved back as she shuffled back towards the elevators.

     Sans announced something about ‘going to Grillby’s’ and did his vanishing act again.

     “So… Um… Are You Ok? You Look Like… Tears…” Papyrus said uneasily as he twisted his gloves around each other again. His eye sockets didn’t exactly look dry either.

     “Y-you too…” You said, rubbing the back of your right hand.

     “Um… Forget About Confusing Things, Pretend This Never Happened, and Cook Some Food?” He offered, looking at you hopefully.

     You gave him a real smile and declared, “Papyrus, sometimes, you’re a genius!”

     He wiped his eye sockets, beamed, and struck a pose, “I AM AWAYS A GENIUS! HOW VERY PAPYRUS OF YOU TO NOTICE!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF EGGS BENEDICT? I KNOW, NOT AS GOOD AS PASTA BUT…” He rambled on, while you smiled and followed him into the kitchen.

     The rest of the day was spent cooking and eating all kinds of things. In between, you sketched and Papyrus did puzzles. Sans arrived later in the afternoon while you were reading ingredients out loud from a cookbook and Papyrus was trying to follow. He winked at the two of you and shuffled off to the couch. Neither you nor Papyrus talked about ‘confusing things’ for a while thereafter.


	7. 09/01/20XX-09/30/20XX:  September Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a great week! Mine was... Busy. Too busy. @_@ Ahahah, I'm going to have to cut my posting schedule a little. Twice a week ok? Tuesdays and Fridays sound good? Ah, thanks as always for reading and for your patience! ^~^;

09/01/20XX - 09/27/20XX

     Several weeks passed and you more or less fell into a routine. You visited Sans at the bookstore after classes most days. Sometimes he had a small group standing around laughing at his jokes and sometimes it was just him and you. A lot of times he just slept and you sat behind the desk and studied or sketched.

     On Tuesdays and Thursdays you had anime club with Alphys and sometimes Undyne if the gym closed early. Some nights you stayed over with Alphys and Undyne. Papyrus, of course, was… Never… Jealous of this. Sometimes you, Sans, and Papyrus went out to eat either on campus or at the pizza parlor. Sometimes Alphys and Undyne joined you all.

     Every Saturday you and Papyrus cooked and sketched or did puzzles. He was quickly becoming your best friend. He was just so easy to get along with, he made you laugh, he had the best laugh, he was always so sweet…

     Your roommate seemed to have gotten herself a boyfriend she met at a frat party. You had only met him once or twice. He only ever gave you weird looks but otherwise ignored you.

******************************************

Saturday 09/28/20XX

     Today had been a lazy day of cooking with Papyrus. You all had just settled on the default spaghetti deciding to focus instead on one of the more complex 3D puzzles Papyrus had procured. It was supposed to be the Empire State Building when it was finished. Papyrus had off of work that night which meant you could stay late. Though it was getting pretty late and you were starting to get sleepy. You stifled a yawn as you found yet another piece that fit in with the side of the building you were working on. Papyrus looked up, noticing.

     “ARE YOU GETTING SLEEPY? I SUPPOSE IT IS GETTING TO BE THAT TIME.” He looked sadly at the clock but quickly replaced his look with a smile. “COME, HUMAN! YOU HAVE THE MIDTERM TESTS NEXT WEEK AND NEED YOUR SLEEP SO YOU CAN STUDY TOMORROW!” You groaned, not even wanting to think of all the cramming you’d have to do before your tests. “NO WHINING! IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT, LIKE ME, YOU MUST WORK HARD! AND AS A STUDENT, THAT MEANS STUDYING!”

     You grudgingly got to your feet and grabbed your purse, following Papyrus out the door. As you got out, you noticed some of the neighbors grouped together, talking and pointing at the roof. You looked to where they were pointing and gawked just as you heard Papyrus screech, “WHERE IS MY CAR??? I KNOW I PARKED IT RIGHT HERE WHERE I USUALLY DO!!!”

     He was frantically scanning the lot while you continued staring at the roof, calmly clearing your throat to get his attention as you pointed. He finally glanced up and noticed his “fancy” convertible. Sitting on the roof. Why? And then it hit you just as it hit Papyrus.

     “SAAAAANNNS!!!!” He screamed as he turned back toward his apartment. Oh no! Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. The neighbors, familiar with the skeletons’ shenanigans, were starting to chuckle at the outburst as he stormed toward his door. You ran to catch up trying desperately to keep your face in check. You couldn’t laugh when he was so mad!

     He threw open the door yelling, “SANS!!! GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!!!” Sans strolled from his room casually with his hands in his hoodie pockets, smug smirk on his face.

     “what’s… up, bro?”

     “YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT IS UP! ON THE ROOF TO BE EXACT!!! COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!!! YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR WITH YOUR PRANKING!!! YOU’VE EVEN DISTURBED THE NEIGHBORS! I… I INVOKE A PRANK WAR!!! PREPARE TO BE THWARTED AT YOUR OWN GAME!!! AND WHEN I WIN, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EVER MESS WITH MY CAR AGAIN!!!”

     “whoa, paps. you sure about that, bro? last time we did this, you ended up with a sharpie mustache that didn’t wear off for a week.” He smirked more as he propped himself against the wall.

     “I WAS YOUNGER AND MORE NAIVE THEN! THIS TIME, I WILL WIN FOR SURE AND YOU WILL BE SORRY!” He shoved a gloved finger in Sans’ face while he placed his other hand on his hip.

     “bro, that was last year. tell you what. i’ll make it more fair for you. if you can get me with just one prank, i’ll leave your car alone. it’ll be off limits. promise.”

     Papyrus was taken aback by that. “A Promise? Really?”

     “of course. ‘cause i know you’re not going to win this. i’ll even let your… friend help you.” He glanced over and winked at you.

     “Ah… I… I don’t think I want to be involved in this…” You sputtered.

     “NOT GOING TO WIN??? THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK!!! YOUR OVERCONFIDENCE WILL BE YOUR UNDOING!!! IT IS SETTLED!!! COME HUMAN, WE ARE LEAVING!”  
  
     You glanced nervously at Sans as Papyrus stormed out the door. Sans just chuckled and shrugged at you. Ah, you figured you’d better catch up with Paps. You offered Sans a wave as you dashed after the tall, angry skeleton. The neighbors had gone back to their apartments after it became apparent the show was over. Though his car was still there on the roof. How in the world was he going to get it down?

     Your question was answered as Papyrus raised his right hand and his right eye glowed orange. His car was enveloped in an orange glow as it lifted and was gently lowered back down to the parking lot. You had never seen him use his magic before. To say you were stunned and impressed was an understatement!

     “W-wow!” You squeaked. “That was amazing! I mean, I knew you could do magic but… Wow! Y-you lifted your car like it was nothing!” You had no idea your friend was that strong! You had heard some monsters were stronger than others. You think you remember them being called “boss monsters.” Was Papyrus a boss monster? He always seemed so gentle and kind.  Or was that title reserved for the king and queen of monsters you had heard about?  

     His eyes had returned to normal briefly but as you finished your praise, there were sparkles in his sockets. “REALLY? YOU WERE IMPRESSED… I MEAN, OF COURSE YOU WERE IMPRESSED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! WHO WOULDN’T BE? NYEH HEH HEH HEH!”

     You smiled and nodded enthusiastically as he opened your door for you per usual. He had left the top up again. Maybe because the weather was getting colder? He ducked into his own side and sat back in his seat. His tallness made it so he had to sit with the seat leaning back quite a bit. “Paps. As impressive as you are, are you sure you want to get in a ‘prank war’ with Sans? H-how does this even work?”

     “OF COURSE I AM SURE!!! I HAVE EVEN ALREADY LURED HIM INTO A FALSE SENSE OF COMPLACENCY! ALL I HAVE TO DO IS JUST GET ONE PRANK OVER ON HIM, AND NOT ONLY WILL I GET MY CAR FREE OF TOMFOOLERY. BUT! I WILL! GET! BRAGGING RIGHTS TOO! AND SANS, REALIZING THAT HIS GENIUS BROTHER HAS DEFEATED HIM AT HIS OWN GAME, WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GIVE UP HIS FOOLISH WAYS AND STRIVE TO BE BETTER! HE WILL LOOK UP TO ME, AND NOT JUST LITERALLY ANYMORE! HE WILL SEE THE ADVANTAGES OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION! AND WORRY NOT HUMAN, I WILL NOT INVOLVE YOU IN THIS!”

     Papyrus seemed pretty confident about his victory. You… Weren’t so sure. Sans was pretty sneaky with his pranks. You remembered just the other week you all had turned on the ceiling fan in the kitchen and were showered with confetti as it fell from the fan blades. Not to mention the whoopee cushions that always seemed to show up out of nowhere. You were definitely staying out of this one.

******************************************

Sunday, 09/29/20XX

     Your roommate was out for the day again, probably hanging out with her boyfriend. Which left the room to yourself to study. Uugh, studying was sooo boring though! But you knew you needed to pass your core classes so you could start taking your art classes. You really wished you had Papyrus’ work ethic. He always threw himself into whatever he was doing one-hundred-percent until he mastered it. Ah, you wondered if he and his brother had started their ‘pranking war’ yet. You picked up the phone and called him. At some point, you two had started actually calling each other instead of just texting. This was kind of new for you as you had once found talking on the phone to anyone to be extremely awkward and difficult. It wasn’t difficult to talk to him though, for some reason. He answered on the second ring.

     “GOOD MORNING!” He said cheerfully. “DID YOU HAVE A GOOD SLEEP? ARE YOU STUDYING? YOU CANNOT BE STUDYING IF YOU ARE CALLING ME! UNLESS YOU ARE MULTITASKING! ARE YOU MULTITASKING?”

     “Hah, good morning to you too. And to answer your questions: yes, yes, and no. I’m taking a b-break. How is your morning?”

     “My Morning…” his voice sounded a little muffled, as his phone was probably now propped on his shoulder. “Ok. Just Fine. Just A Minor Setback.” You heard what sounded like scraping or brushing on the other end.

     “Ah… Paps? What are you doing?”

     You heard the phone clatter to the ground and a shriek of, “NYEH, BLAST IT!” His phone never did stay in place when he tried to talk like that. You supposed skulls weren’t very good at holding phones in place without ears or skin.

     “SORRY ABOUT THAT,” he said, obviously recovering the phone. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DIFFICULT AND UNPLEASANT IT IS TO SCRUB… IT LOOKS LIKE PLAYDOUGH… OUT FROM BETWEEN YOUR TARSALS AND METATARSALS? HM, I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THAT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND UNPLEASANT!”

     “My what?”

     “TARSALS AND METATARSALS! FEET! FOOT BONES.”

     “…Why do you have playdough stuck in your feet?”

     “NGAH! SANS. HE PUT PLAYDOUGH IN MY BOOTS. LIKE I SAID, MINOR SETBACK! HE WILL NOT WIN THIS WAR!” You could hear him grit his teeth over the receiver.

     You held the phone away from your mouth so you could stifle a laugh.

Sans 1. Papyrus 0.

     “OH, HE WILL BE SORRY THOUGH!” He continued, muffled voice and more scrubbing as Papyrus again balanced the phone against his shoulder. “FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SNUCK INTO HIS ROOM AND HIDDEN HIS PRIZED HOODIE! NOW HE WILL HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO WEAR FOR ONCE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH! HE WILL BEG ME TO END THE WAR AND I WILL BE DECLARED THE VICTOR!” The phone clattered to the ground again. It was a good thing Alphys had built his phone to be so sturdy. “NYEH, SORRY AGAIN. ANYWAY, YOU SHOULD GET BACK TO YOUR STUDYING! I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I WIN!”

     And with that, he hung up. Poor Papyrus. You had a feeling he would be in for a bad time.

     Later in the afternoon you decided to take another break and get some lunch. You had been studying for several hours. Plus you were insanely curious how the war was going. Papyrus answered on the third ring this time.

     “Hello,” He said sighing.

     “Ah… I think that answers my question,” you said, smiling in pity.

     “Yeah. Who Knew Sans Even Owned An Outfit So… SO DIABOLICALLY HORRIBLE THAT AT THE MERE SIGHT OF IT, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GIVE HIM BACK HIS WRETCHED JACKET! IT WAS AWFUL!!!”

     “Pfft… Wha… What did he even wear?” Oh god, you could only imagine.

     “I DO NOT EVEN WANT TO DESCRIBE IT!!! NO MATTER. THIS TIME, I WILL GET HIM AT HIS OWN GAME! I HAVE HIDDEN ONE OF HIS WHOOPEE CUSHIONS UNDER THE CUSHION OF HIS FAVORITE PLACE TO SIT ON THE COUCH! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!”

     “Hah, well… G-good Luck,” You said hopefully. You really doubted that would work. Whoopee cushions seemed to be a sort of extension of Sans himself. You wouldn’t be surprised if he had some weird sort of psychic link with the things.

     “HUMAN! IS THAT DOUBT I DETECT IN YOUR VOICE??? YOU HAVE DOUBT VOICE!!! DO YOU DOUBT THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN BEST HIS BROTHER AT HIS OWN GAME? YOU WILL SEE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS TRIUMPHS!! I WILL… Ah, I’ve Got To Go. Sans Just Got Back.” He hung up again.

     Your phone pinged. Papyrus had sent you a picture. You opened it and it was… Sans. In what could only be described as the worst outfit of all time. Your eye twitched a little and you deleted the picture immediately.

Sans 2. Papyrus 0.

     Much later that evening, your roommate returned and opened up her notes to study too. You had been studying all day and figured at this point, you either knew the information or you didn’t. You were currently rewarding your study efforts by reading through one of your favorite manga series again, probably for the billionth time. Glancing at the clock, you realized that Papyrus’ guard shift would start soon and you really wanted to know how their prank war was going. Ah, but you didn’t want to call because Becky was sitting right there. You decided to text instead.

You: So, what’s the latest from the battlefront?

Papyrus: I DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

You: Ah, that bad, huh? What now?

Papyrus: I AM CURRENTLY CLEANING DOG RESIDUE FROM THE SLEEVE OF MY GUARD UNIFORM IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS.

     Ah, you remembered him once mentioning how an annoying dog seemed to show up to “plague his life” now and again. And how he thought the dog and Sans were “in cahoots” or something. You had never seen this mysterious dog though.

Papyrus: SANS EVEN SAT WHERE I HID THE WHOOPEE CUSHION AND NOTHING HAPPENED! IN FACT, WHEN HE GOT UP AND I WENT TO INVESTIGATE, AN ANNOYING DOG JUMPED FROM UNDER THE COUCH WITH MY UNIFORM!

Papyrus: AND THE WHOOPEE CUSHION WAS NOT EVEN THERE ANYMORE.

     You imagined he pouted as he typed that last part.

Sans 3. Papyrus 0.

Papyrus: THEN LATER, I WENT TO CLOSE A DRAWER THAT HAD BEEN LEFT AJAR. THERE WAS THIS AWFUL LOUD NOISE THAT WOULD NOT STOP! I HAD TO TAKE THE CABINET APART TO FIND THE SOURCE OF IT AND STOP IT! WHY WOULD SOMEONE EVEN MAKE SOMETHING CALLED AN AIR HORN???

Sans 4. Papyrus 0. Poor Paps. This was turning out to be a slaughter.

You: I’m sorry…

Papyrus: NO MATTER! I HAVE THOUGHT OF A PLAN SO INGENIOUS, IT CANNOT POSSIBLY FAIL! WHILE SANS WAS OUT, I HID SEVERAL SMALL ALARM CLOCKS AROUND HIS ROOM AND SET THEM TO GO OFF AT FIVE-MINUTE INTERVALS TOMORROW WHEN HE HAS TO GET UP FOR WORK! HE WILL HAVE TO SCRAMBLE AROUND TO FIND THEM ALL! I HID THEM WELL! IN HIGH UP PLACES! HE WILL GET NO NICE WAKE-UP FROM HIS BROTHER TOMORROW! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!

     Hm. Papyrus had stepped up his game a bit.

You: That actually might work! Good job! Let me know how it goes. Have a good night at work!

******************************************

Monday, 09/30/20XX

     The next morning was filled with exams and reviewing notes in between classes. Luckily, you had plenty of time in between classes since each class was just a midterm with no lectures. You finished up all of your classes by about 1:30PM. Heavily invested in the drama that was the prank war, you decided to call Papyrus to see if his prank had succeeded.

     “Hello,” he answered, sounding completely dejected.

     “Aw… Your prank. It d-didn’t work?”

     “Oh, It Worked. Every Five Minutes The Alarms Went Off One After Another. Though I May Have… Underestimated My Lazy Brother’s Ability To Sleep Through Things. And Apparently He KNEW All The Alarms Were There! THOUGH WITH THE HEAPING TRASH PIT THAT IS HIS ROOM, I DO NOT KNOW HOW HE FINDS ANYTHING! BUT IT GETS WORSE!”

     “Oh?” You said, trying to keep the amusement out of your tone.

     “YES! WORSE! I EVENTUALLY HAD TO GO INTO HIS ROOM TO TURN OFF THE ALARMS! BUT NONE OF THEM WERE WHERE I LEFT THEM!!! HE HAD MOVED THEM ALL INTO THE LOWEST, HARDEST TO REACH SPOTS ALL OVER HIS ROOM AND STUFFED EVERY. SINGLE. ALARM. INTO DIRTY SOCKS!!!! SOCKS!!! IT WAS DISGUSTING! I EVEN HAD TO CRAWL UNDER HIS BED TO FIND THE LAST ONE!!! IT WAS AWFUL!!! AND I KNOW HE HAD WOKEN UP BECAUSE I HEARD HIM SNICKERING!!!”

     “Pfft!” You took the phone away from your face too late and he heard you laughing.

Sans 5. Papyrus 0.

     “IT IS NOT FUNNY!!! I AM AT MY WIT’S END!!! JUST WHO’S SIDE ARE YOU ON ANYWAY???”

     “Haha, I-I’m not on a side! I thought we agreed I wouldn’t be involved in this. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

     “I Wish You Were On My Side. And I Cannot Sleep. I Am Too Confounded And Distraught.” He pouted.

     “Aw. Aw, Paps. D-do you want me to come over? I’m finished with classes for the day and all caught up on studying. We could cook spaghetti again. Would that make you feel better?”

     “Maybe. Yes. I AM ON MY WAY!!!” He said, suddenly excited as he hung up the phone. Ah. You had a feeling you were going to get dragged into this war after all.

     Papyrus did indeed seem a bit more cheerful as he drove you all back to his place. He parked the car, dashing around to open your door for you per usual and you all entered the apartment. You knew Sans worked at the school until 6PM so you would have at least a few hours of prank-free cooking time. As you grabbed a pot and put it in the sink to fill with water, you realized how wrong you were. The bottom of your shirt was now completely soaked. Sans had put a rubber band around the button of the sink sprayer so when the water was turned on, whoever turned it on would get sprayed.

     “NGAHHH! HUMAN!!! I AM SO SORRY!!! HERE!!! LET ME GET YOU A TOWEL!!!” He grabbed the frilly pink kitchen towel hanging from the oven handle. As you dabbed at your shirt, you noticed too late that it was covered in fine pink chalk dust. Your shirt now had the fun addition of pink smudges. You were too impressed by the thought process that must have gone into this two-part prank to be upset. Papyrus, on the other hand, was very upset.

     “NOOO!!! WHYYYYY??? HUMAN!!! WHAT HAVE WE DONE??? I NEVER MEANT FOR YOU TO BE A CASUALTY IN THIS WAR!!! YOU WERE SO YOUNG!!! SO INNOCENT!!! IT IS NOT FAIR!!!”

     You finally burst out laughing at his dramatic and flailing self. Oh god, you couldn’t stop laughing! You were crying you were laughing so hard! You had to sit down. Papyrus followed you over to the kitchen table giving you a concerned look while wringing his hands. Ah man, you had to get it together.

     “Pap… Hahaha… Papyrus… Ha ha… It’s…” You took a breath. “It’s ok. I’m fine. Ah man, you are too much!” You wiped the tears out of your eyes, still laughing. Papyrus looked like he wanted to pat your back or something but was restraining himself. He still looked worried. “S-seriously, I’m ok. But I think I might have been dragged into this war after all.”

Sans 6. Papyrus AND You 0.

     “I-it’s ok. I may have an idea. You might not like it, though. It’ll be messy. And I’ll need s-some input on how to pull it off.” He looked at you hopefully as you explained your idea.

     A few hours later you and Papyrus had long since finished prepping dinner and coming up with a game plan. The trap you all had set was in place. Sans showed up just after 6PM as you all were finishing heating up the rest of the dinner. He looked at your now colorful shirt and grinned.

     “heh. water you doing over here on a monday? shall i… chalk it up to the fact that paps is getting so owned, he needs moral support?”

     You smirked at him as Papyrus shouted, “LAUGH IT UP SANS! FOR YOU WILL SOON BE EATING THOSE WORDS!!!”

     You smiled and innocently held out a plate of pasta to Sans. “Hungry?” He eyed it dubiously before smirking at you.

     “um… no thanks, buddy. i think i’ll pass-ta pasta for tonight.”

     You shrugged as he made his way to the fridge, both you and Papyrus not-so-subtly watching him out of the corner of your eye. He noticed. Of course he did. He paused with his hand on the fridge handle, his sockets squinted in suspicion as his eye lights darted back and forth between the two of you. Papyrus stood there stirring the sauce over and over again. You innocently whistled some random tune while you scrubbed one of the pots in the sink. Sans started looking around, and quickly noticed the bucket of water precariously balanced on the top edge of the fridge. You let out a groan and Papyrus made an annoyed sound as well, abandoning stirring the sauce to stomp his feet dramatically.

     “heh. heh. nice try,” he said as his left eye glowed blue and the bucket was enveloped in a blue haze. He easily floated it over to the side counter. Huh. So both brothers had similar magic. Sans opened the fridge, and grabbed his ketchup bottle swirling it at the two of you. “you are going to have to try a little harder than that. if ya wanna, you know… ketchup to me.” He winked and popped open the lid to his ketchup bottle… And ketchup exploded from the bottle all over his face and the ceiling! He dropped the bottle in his shock! He had even teleported backwards a step! Ketchup was everywhere! Even Papyrus looked a little stunned. He hadn’t expected it to be THAT messy!

     Sans just stood there, hands up, his eye sockets wide open in complete surprise, ketchup dripping down the sides of his face. The bottle stopped rolling on the ground as everyone stared in silence.

     For the second time that day you doubled over in laughter. Sans’ face was priceless! You had never seen him look so surprised! You were so pleased the plan you and Paps had come up with had worked perfectly! You made him suspicious of dinner so he’d go for his usual ketchup (Papyrus’ idea). Then lured him into a false sense of security when he underestimated your prank as the harmless old ‘water bucket over the door’ trick (also Papyrus’ idea). Even Papyrus’ over-the-top frustration at Sans “finding” the bucket on the fridge hadn’t been too much since he always acted in an exaggerated fashion. Opening a drawer, you held up a box of baking soda (your idea). Sans eyed the box and you could almost see the gears turning in his head as a grin slowly spread up his ketchup-covered face.

     “heh… heh…” And then Sans too burst fully into laughter.

     You had once learned that you could drop baking soda into a ketchup bottle, cap it, and shake it up to create enough pressure to make it explode out of the bottle once opened. You and Sans laughed uproariously while Papyrus also started laughing, but maybe not as hard as he eyed the mess of his kitchen. It was ok. You would help him clean it after.

Sans 6, Papyrus and You… Won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: Kids, please don't try a lot of these pranks at home. Especially the last one. Soooo messy and potentially not safe! =S


	8. Friday, 10/11/20XX:  Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha, this chapter is... Well... Enjoy! ^-^

Friday, 10/11/20XX

     Last week passed relatively uneventfully after the shenanigans of the prank war. You passed all of your midterms. This week, however, the weather report had been calling for a severe storm that would last for the next two days. Classes were cancelled all day and the cafeteria and bookstore were closing at noon. You were worried. The campus apparently still wanted the security guards on duty. Papyrus worked out in that crappy small guard shack and would have to patrol the grounds later. You were trying to text him that he shouldn't go (as he tended to either drop the phone or hang up randomly when you called, and you wanted him to listen).

You: I wish you would just call in sick or something. I’m really not ok with this. If things get too bad tonight, I want you to go somewhere safe. You can even come up to my dorm! Becky’s staying with her boyfriend this whole three day weekend.

Papyrus: I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS! I DO NOT LIE TO GET OUT OF MY SWORN DUTY! YOU WORRY TOO MUCH! WEAK WEATHER PHENOMENON DOES NOT WORRY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IT IS JUST A LITTLE RAIN!

You: Fine. Then if things look bad, I’ll just brave the storm and come join you.

Papyrus: COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!!! YOU WILL STAY IN YOUR DORM AND STAY AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!

You: I thought it was just “weak weather phenomenon” with “a little rain?”

Papyrus: I HAVE MAGIC TO PROTECT ME. YOU DO NOT!

You: Yeah? And I thought human souls were supposed to be super strong compared to monsters or something.

Papyrus: I AM TRYING TO SLEEP YOU KNOW.

You: You don’t sleep until after noon and you know it. Even then I wonder sometimes!

     Several minutes passed. Ug, he stopped texting. You were glad Alphys and Undyne were safe; away at some technology convention. Last selfie they sent, it looked like they were having fun! Well, at least half your friends were safe. Since it was almost eleven in the morning, you figured Sans was up. Even if he didn’t have to work today. He didn’t always answer his texts but it was worth trying. Hm, you got an idea of how to make him answer.

You: Knock knock.

Sans: who’s there?

     Haha, it worked! You beamed over your victory.

You: Orange.

Sans: orange who? though i think i know where this is going, i’ll humor you.

You: Orange you going to convince your brother to stay home tonight? This storm is supposed to be really bad!

Sans: he’s an adult. he can handle himself. don’t bring me into you all’s squabbles. this conversation is over.

     Great. Just great. No help there. And you may have overstepped a little. But you just wanted your friend to be safe! Even if you were annoying the skeleton brothers, which you probably were. They were both so stubborn! But you knew there was nothing you could do at this point, so you let the matter drop. You needed to head over to the cafeteria and book store to stock up on food before they closed at noon.

     As the day ended and the night went on, the storm was getting worse and worse. You tried to spend most of it finishing up homework and studying a little. You really needed to study more. Though you passed your midterms, your grades could have been better. You cringed as you heard the wind slamming rain against your dorm window, followed by a loud crack of thunder. You looked at the time. 9:12PM. Papyrus had started his shift. You wanted to text him but knew he was a stickler for rules and wouldn’t answer it. You were worried. The wind was sounding like it was trying to tear the dorm apart. You couldn’t even imagine what it sounded like in that tiny guard shack. You shuddered as more thunder shook the walls.

     You had visited the guard shack one night last week, just to see where Papyrus worked. You were surprised he worked with another human guard. You were happy that he didn’t have to work alone. Papyrus wasn’t too happy with you being out that late at night. By yourself. He had insisted on escorting you back to your room. It had been worth it though to see him in his uniform looking all serious. It suited him well.

     You had abandoned studying and were just getting to a good part in one of your mangas when there was a flash immediately followed by an explosion of thunder and the power went out. Aw, crap. In retrospect it would have been a great idea to buy a flashlight. At least your phone battery was still at 87%. If you conserved it, it would probably last you until morning. Well, just one quick text to Sans wouldn’t hurt.

You: Do you have power where you are?

Sans: just lost it here. guessing you don’t have it either.

You: Nope.

     There was a pause that lasted a few minutes. Were you really entertaining the idea of braving the storm to head out to the guard shack? You just had the strange feeling something may be wrong and you couldn’t shake it. Ping.

Sans: do me a favor. text me if paps comes up to your dorm. he’s not at the guard post and he’s not answering his phone.

You: What?! I’m going to go look for him! What are you doing out in this??

     Crap, you were right! You tried to call Papyrus, but he didn’t answer. You were starting to panic. Using your phone light, you frantically searched for your coat. There! You hastily grabbed it when somehow over the sounds of your window being assaulted by wind and rain, you heard a light tapping at your door. You threw it open, shining your phone in the face of…Papyrus, oh thank god!

     He stood there dripping wet and looking miserable in his guard uniform. “Y-you’re soaked!” You stepped aside so he could enter your room and you quickly grabbed your towel and handed it to him. “Here, dry off.” You turned your attention back to your phone.

You: He’s here! He’s ok. Come over to the dorm. Get out of this weather!

Sans: good. no. please don’t tell him i was out looking for him. going home.

     You sighed, at this point well aware of Sans’ ability to quickly get from place to place via “short cuts.” It seemed to work more like teleportation. Closing out of your texting screen, you finally noticed that Papyrus was being uncharacteristically quiet. You shined your phone light on him seeing he was slumped sitting on the floor by your chair, hugging his knees. Water was dripping from his face and uniform and starting to form small puddles around him. He was shaking.

“A-are you ok? Are you cold? Why weren’t you answering your phone?”

“PHONE’S IN THE GUARD STATION. SKELETONS D-DON’T GET COLD. THE WIND GOES RIGHT TH-THROUGH US! NYEH..HEH…”

His voice sounded about an octave higher than normal. Something was definitely off. “Paps… What’s wrong?”

“N-NOTHING! I… I’M NOT S-SCARED! SCHOOL GUARDS DON’T GET SCARED!”

“…Where’s your coworker?”

“HE… CALLED IN SICK! M-MUST BE TOUGH BEING S-SICK DURING A S-STORM… IT’S OK THOUGH… I’M… NOT SCARED… THE GREAT PAPYRUS… FEARS NOTHING…”

     Another crack of thunder had Papyrus hugging his knees closer to himself. Your phone light turned off and you hit the button to get it to illuminate the room again. You grabbed your towel off the desk where he had dropped it and gently started drying his face and skull, finally wrapping the towel around his shoulders as you sat down next to him. He said nothing the entire time, just staring at the floor, trembling.

“Well… I’m scared,” you told him. He squinted down at you. Your screen went dark again and you didn’t turn it back on. “Lots of things scare me. Sometimes… I-it’s ok to be scared.” He was shaking so hard you could hear him rattling next to you. “It… It’s nice you came up to the dorm to make sure I was ok…” You were trying to make up excuses for him. He had his pride after all, a lot of it, and you didn’t ever want him to feel ashamed for seeking you out when he needed help.

     He still wasn’t saying anything, just sitting there trembling. Through the flashes of lightning, you could see he had his forehead resting on his knees now, your towel still draped over his back. You had to do something. Usually you didn’t like people touching you and you didn't like touching others. But this was different. He was different. And right then, you just wanted to hold him and help him be ok. You tentatively wrapped your arms around his ribs and gently pulled him to your side. He stilled briefly, surprised, but soon you felt him shift and bony arms encircle you too. You rested your face in the space between his shoulder and chest. He let out a shaky sigh and tightened his hold on you, resting the side of his skull on top of your head. You felt water seeping through your clothes but didn’t even care. You both just held each other for a while, not saying anything. The storm did its angry storm thing outside, occasionally bathing you all in flashes of light.  
  
     He seemed to be calming down a little. Enough to start talking at least, though he didn’t relinquish his hold on you. “In The Underground… We Didn’t Have Storms. Or Power Outages. Well… Not In My Time Anyway. I… Did Once Get Lost In Waterfall When I Was Just A Baby Bones. There’s A Path There That Lights Up When You Hit These Lanterns. I Was Exploring And It Got Dark Before I Could Find More Lanterns. I… Might Have Been Scared Then. Sans Found Me… Used One Of His Shortcuts To Get Us Back Home. I Don’t Know Why I Told You That Story…”

     You gave him what you hoped was a reassuring squeeze and he squeezed you back. “It must have been weird getting essentially thrown into a completely new world when you came to the surface,” you said. “I can’t even imagine how strange and s-scary that must have been…ah! Though I know, I know, you don’t get scared. I admire you for adapting so quickly. Man, you even learned how to drive! And got a job! You integrated so quickly into a world that I know is not always easy to live in… You’re so very brave.”

     He was quiet again for several minutes. The storm was still doing it’s darndest to beat up the dorm, but luckily Papyrus was no longer flinching at every violent noise it made. His chest rose and fell with his steady breathing. Where did the air go without lungs? You were starting to become more aware of how close you were to him. You had never really touched him before. He had always been so respectful of your need for space. You were surprised to notice that he was actually pretty warm. And you could definitely feel his hard rib bones through his wet uniform. He didn’t have a heart beat, but you could hear a sort of hum in his chest. Maybe that’s what magic sounded like? Why was your heart beating so hard?

     He seemed to be tensing up a bit again. He took a deep breath. “…I Um… I Hope You Are Feeling… Less Scared. I Am… Still Not Scared… But If I Was, Hypothetically, This Would Have Been… Really Nice Of You… And YOU’RE A REALLY KIND HUMAN AND I LIKE HUGGING YOU I KNOW YOU DON’T LIKE PEOPLE TOUCHING YOU SO I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME HUG YOU FOR SO LONG AND IT MAKES ME HAPPY AND I HOPE YOU LET ME AGAIN SOMEDAY AND…”

     “Ah…P-Paps… You’re kinda yelling in my ear…” Aaand… The moment was gone as your ears were starting to ring.

     “AH! I… I Apologize.” He let go of you and patted your shoulder, which immediately made you realize your wet shirt was stuck to you. “OH! OH NO! YOU’RE NOW SOAKED TOO! WHY… Ah… Why Didn’t You Say Anything? You’ll Catch A Cold! You Must Take Better Care Of Yourself! I’ll Find Your Dry Clothes For You!” He leapt to his feet and you heard a crack as his head hit the bottom of your lofted bed.

     “NYYAGHHH! FFFU…! SHI…! …SON OF A…! OWIE!!” You heard his bony hands scrape along the top of his skull, as he leaned over rubbing it.

     “Aah!” You jumped up too. You’d never heard him… Almost curse before! “A-are you ok? Aah, y-you didn’t crack your skull did you? Give yourself a concussion? Can you even get a concussion? Do you feel dizzy? Maybe you should sit d-down! Do you need something cold to hold on it? I have a soda in the mini-fridge!” You had your hands up around his face, feeling around the top of his skull in the dark frantically searching for cracks. What could you even do to help him if he had hurt himself? You realized he had stilled, kind of hunched over. Oh no! He wasn’t getting ready to pass out or anything, was he? You didn’t feel any cracks or anything. His head and face actually felt smooth, and warm. Very warm in fact. Did he have a fever after all? Did a concussion give one a fever? Maybe being soaked in the rain did? You felt his bone brow ridges move under your hand. Hm, it felt really weird feeling bone move and reshape. You slowly ran your hands up and over the back of his skull again, then down the sides of his face. You heard his breath hitch and you froze. What. Were. You. Doing? Oh god!

     You quickly removed your hands. Time to play it off. “Ah.. S-seems there are n-no injuries. Um… S-sorry about that… Ah!” Your voice squeaked. Fail! Not playing it off! Not at all!

     “…S’ok…” He almost mumbled, quietest you had ever heard him speak.

     Ug, what was wrong with you? You had just made things so awkward! You were kind of glad he couldn’t see your stupid blushing face as you stupidly stood there at a loss of how to explain your stupid self. Stupid. You both just stood there, you could hear his fingers tapping together as he presumably fiddled with his hands. He wasn’t allowed to wear his gloves and cool scarf with his guard uniform.

     “AH! Y-YOU NEED TO GET SOME DRY CLOTHES! I’LL… I’LL JUST LET YOU DO THAT. UM… I’LL WAIT. OUTSIDE THE ROOM. WHILE YOU DO THAT. CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES. I’LL BE OK. JUST FINE! EVERYTHING’S FINE! HEH… NYEH…” You could hear his hand scraping along his skull again.

     “Y-you should change too. I h-have some oversized sweat pants and shirt y-you can borrow… They’ll probably be sh-short on you… But you kinda wear short shirts anyway… Ha ha… You c-could change in here and I could go ch-change in the bathroom.” You were rubbing the back of your right hand.

     “NO! I’M… STILL ON DUTY! I HAVE TO STAY IN UNIFORM…”

     “Paps! Your uniform is soaked! You’re soaked! You need to dry off!” You complained, your concern for his health momentarily overriding the awkward situation.

     “BUT MY STANDARDS! I WILL NOT ABANDON MY DUTIES!” He actually stomped his foot at that and you could hear the water squish in his boot.

     Stubborn skeleton! Hm… You got an idea. “Ah, y-you really should treat your uniform with more respect. If you wear it while it’s all soaked like that, you could ruin it. Would be a shame to have such a noble school guard in a ruined uniform…”

     He huffed. “NYEH! FINE! BUT I’M PUTTING IT BACK ON AT SHIFT CHANGE! I Really Should Be Out At The Guard Post…”

     “No. Only rain and wind and lightning live out there now. B-besides… You’re helping one of the students here not be scared, remember?” You heard him sigh as you used your phone light to find the clothes. You tossed the sweats to Papyrus, grabbed your own clothes, and headed for the door. Your phone light turned off and you hit the screen to turn it back on.

     You stopped as your hand reached the handle, suddenly smirking as you remembered something dumb. “Hey Paps. What do you call a wet bear?”

     You shined the light at him and barely held in a laugh as you watched his face scrunch. You were pretty sure if he could, he would be frowning fully. “DO NOT…”

     “A drizzly bear!” You burst out laughing at his completely disgusted expression. “OH MY GOD! THAT’S AWFUL!!! GO! CHANGE! INTO A BETTER PERSON!” You laughed harder as his expression turned comically horrified at his own pun. He put his hand over his face but you could see him straining not to grin more behind it.

     “Ha ha, alright alright. I’ll be back soon.” You glanced down to tap your phone to make it light up again. Ah man, you were going to wear out the battery at that rate. As you entered the hallway, your neighbor across the way “psst’d” at you. You jumped a little not expecting it. She was leaning out of her room, holding a flashlight out to you. “Ah… Um… A-are you sure you don’t need this?” She reached behind her and held up… Four more… “Ah… O-ok then… Th-thanks!” You took it. She nodded at you and retreated back into her room, shutting the door. That was… Nice of her.

     Conserving your phone battery, you used your borrowed flashlight to make your way to the shared hall bathroom. You quickly changed, worried about leaving Paps alone. A crack of thunder echoed through the bathroom. He had been so scared earlier. But then he seemed better after he and you… Nope. Not going there brain. You were choosing to be in denial. Even though you were starting to realize you were in denial about your feelings. You couldn’t… Feel that way. It wouldn’t be fair. Besides… You were sure he didn’t feel… With you… No, seriously, change of topic brain.

     You pushed what Paps once called ‘confusing things’ to the back of your mind as you made your way back to your dorm room. Not wanting to walk in on him, you knocked quietly and cracked the door slightly. “Ok to come in?” You called through the crack.

     “Y-YES!” He called back. You entered, tossing your damp clothes in a pile on the floor. Heh, the sweats really were short on his lanky frame. His uniform was hung neatly from the railing of your lofted bed. He had taken off his shoes too and his bony feet clattered on the hardwood dorm floor as he walked around. “OH! I SEE YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A FLASHLIGHT!”

     You smiled and handed it to him. He seemed delighted to have it. “The neighbor across the hall lent it to me.” You shrugged. He clicked it off and on a few times, finally settling on leaving it on. Ah man. You both were standing there and things seemed awkward again. “Um… Well I’m going to sit…” you said, taking a seat in Becky’s chair so Papyrus could sit in yours. You figured he’d probably rather sit in your chair anyway. After you and your roomie’s talk, she never said anything rude to him again. Though the few times she did see him, she just ignored him. He sat down in your chair, rolling the flashlight from one hand to the other. You both sat with your chairs facing each other, saying nothing. Neither one of you looked at each other. There was another flash of lightning. Well, at least he didn’t seem so scared anymore.

     He finally broke the silence again, like he tended to do. “SO…” Your eyes and his eye sockets met briefly in the dim light, before you both looked away again. Arg, why did things have to be so awkward? He cleared his throat, and continued, “SO… WE’RE FRIENDS, RIGHT?”

     You looked up at him again with concern, “Why would you even ask that? Of course we are! I mean… Y-you’re one of my best friends.”

     “GOOD! I TOO CONSIDER YOU A BESTIE! AND… BESTIES… TALK ABOUT… ALL KINDS THINGS, RIGHT?”

     Oh god. Were you really going to have this conversation with him? It felt like your heart was in your throat. If it were anyone else, a conversation like this might have sent you into one of your episodes. You trusted him and felt safe with him though. You didn’t want to mess things up or hurt him or disappoint him. Your feelings about him were so mixed up and confusing and that wasn’t fair…

     You must have been making a face because he continued, interrupting your train of thought, “Don’t. Don’t Be Upset. Please. I Just… We Just…” He let out a frustrated puff of air. “YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE! I LIKE HANGING OUT WITH YOU AND COOKING WITH YOU AND TALKING ON THE PHONE AND TEXTING... YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO EVEN… TAKES ME SERIOUSLY. WHO DOESN’T TREAT ME LIKE I’M… SOME INFANTILE… NOT SMART PERSON! I… I…. I Don’t Understand My Own Feelings. I Like How Our Friendship Is… Gaining Levels. My Dating Manual… Isn’t Exactly Helpful In This Situation. Ah, N-Not That We Have To Date… U-Unless You Want To! I-I Don’t Want You To Be Uncomfortable With Me! I Just… I Just Want You To Be Happy. I Think I Had Something Else To Say, But It’s Escaped Me… Nyeh Heh…”

     He was twisting the handle of the flashlight in his hands while he stared at them. “I d-don’t understand my feelings either,” you said, staring at his hands and then the floor as you continued, “Y-you are my favorite too… T-The few ‘dating’ relationships I’ve tried… Ended b-badly. I don’t want that to happen… Not to you. The few people I t-tried to date… All eventually w-wanted something I couldn’t give them. I don’t… I don’t w-want to hurt you. You are so important to me… You deserve to be happy. My brain and feelings and everything about me… It’s a jumbled mess.”

     Papyrus reached out and touched your hand a little and you looked up at him. You didn’t flinch. He was grinning a little more. “Like A Puzzle?” He asked. You returned a small smile.

     “Well, I LIKE PUZZLES! AS YOU WELL KNOW! WORRY NOT, DEAR HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALSO THINKS YOU ARE GREAT! I WOULD NOT WANT TO DO ‘DATING’ TYPE STUFF ANYWAY… LIKE KISS! I DON’T EVEN HAVE LIPS! PUZZLES DO NOT HAVE TO BE SOLVED RIGHT AWAY! BECAUSE PUZZLES ARE MORE FUN BEFORE YOU SOLVE THEM BUT WHEN YOU SOLVE THEM THEN THEY’RE OVER WITH… AND…. Ok, That Analogy Wasn’t The Best.” He squinted his eye sockets a bit and you laughed a little. He looked up at your face and smiled again. “I Do Have Sort Of… A Question?”

     You gave him a quizzical look and nodded. “So… Is It Ok If Sometimes… I Want To Hug You… Or Pat Your Head? Ah! NOT ALL THE TIME THOUGH! SOMETIMES! IN A FRIENDSHIP SORT OF WAY! NOT A DATING SORT OF WAY! YOU COULD DO THE SAME WITH ME… I MEAN, IF YOU WANTED TO! AND IF YOU EVER DIDN’T WANT TO YOU COULD JUST TELL ME NO AND I WOULD UNDERSTAND!”

     You blushed a little more. You were pretty sure at this point your face was permanently stained red. Luckily (you hoped) it was too dark to tell. The flashlight did not light up the room that much and you couldn’t tell if Papyrus was blushing. “Yeah…” you finally replied, “I think that would be ok.”

     He cleared his throat, “So… Maybe N-Now? You Could Have Your Chair More Over Here, Away From The Window?” He gave a nervous glance at the window and as if on cue, a particularly nasty gust smacked against it.

    “Yeah. T-that sounds like a plan.” You scooted your chair next to his. You both spent the rest of the evening sort of… Cuddling and watching the storm. Because that’s what friends do… Right?


	9. Saturday, 10/12/20XX:  Long Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, you guys. Thank you again for all the comments and kudos! You all rule! I hope you continue to be entertained. ^-^; Happy Friday!

Saturday, 10/12/20XX

     You must have fallen asleep because you woke up in your bed to a pinging noise. Arg, had you fallen asleep on Paps? God, you hoped you hadn’t drooled on him or anything! And then he had lifted you up into your bed? Wait…How did he even do that? Ah, probably his magic. You glanced around your room noticing Papyrus and his uniform were gone. Your phone was sitting by your head. Hm, looked like he had sent you a text just a few minutes ago. You squinted at your screen. It was just past five in the morning… Ah… Shift change. The storm at least sounded calmer. You felt bad you had fallen asleep and let Papyrus brave the storm again all alone. At least he had made it back to the guard shack and his phone. You tapped your screen to open the text.

Papyrus: I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU. AGAIN. FOR LETTING ME STAY WITH YOU AND… COMFORT YOU WHEN YOU WERE SCARED. I CAN IMAGINE IT HELPED A LOT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WERE TRYING TO SAVE FACE AND NOT APPEAR SCARED IN FRONT OF A CERTAIN SOMEONE.

     Aw, so that’s how he wanted to thank you, sort of indirectly. You could play that game too.

You: Well, I know you wouldn’t ever judge me for being scared. I know I would be welcome to come to you with whatever was bothering me.

     In case he didn’t get that you were really talking about him when you said “I/me” and yourself when you said “you”, you added:

You: I also imagine you were serious when you said I was brave. And that you like my cool modified shirts and scarf and gloves.

Papyrus: NYEH HEH HEH! GO BACK TO SLEEP, HUMAN. I’M SORRY I WOKE YOU UP. SORT OF. :) WE’LL GET TOGETHER LATER FOR OUR WEEKLY COOKING HANGOUT! MAYBE AROUND NOON?

You: I really want to but at the same time I’m worried about you driving back and forth in this.

Papyrus: FEAR NOT! THE PHONE WEATHER APPLICATION THING SAYS THE STORM WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN! OUR HANGOUT WILL NOT BE THWARTED!

You: Ok. Good. I’m Glad! See you at noon! Text me when you get home. ^-^

     You smiled as you rolled over to go back to sleep. Well, for a few minutes anyway until the text came letting you know he had gotten home safe. Then you went back to sleep for real.

     You slept in for a long time. It was glorious! But you still had a little time to get ready for your weekly cooking session. The power must have come back on sometime that morning. You plugged your phone into its charger as you headed off to take a shower. But first, you needed to return the borrowed flashlight. You crossed the hallway and knocked on your neighbor’s door. She slowly cracked it open eyeing you suspiciously before recognition crossed her face and she nodded at you.

     “Hi, g-good morning! I just wanted to return this,” you said as you handed her the flashlight. “Um… Thank you for letting me borrow it.” She opened the door more fully and reached for it with her right hand. In her left hand was a steaming cup of tea…. With several little tea bag labels hanging off to the side of the mug. How many bags of tea were in there? She quirked an eyebrow at you and took a slow sip. Ah, you were staring at the cup! “Oh, um…Yeah thanks again!” She nodded again and slowly closed the door. Okaaay…

     Anyway, you were in a great mood this morning! You had just finished your morning routine when you practically ran into your roommate and her boyfriend on your way back from the bathroom.

     “O-oh! M-morning,” you stammered.

     “Oh, hi! I thought you’d be out… Um, hanging out with your freaky friends like you do on Saturdays,” Becky said, grimacing and shooting a glance to her boyfriend.

     “Eh, maybe the novelty finally wore off and she realized how dangerous those things are. At least I hope so. Us humans oughta stick together,” Becky’s boyfriend… Ernie, that was his name… Said as he side-arm hugged Becky.

     She laughed and gave him a playful shove. “Oh, you! Be nice! Just ‘cause we don’t hang out with weird creatures doesn’t mean she can’t. So, um, are you planning on like hanging around the dorm today?” Becky asked, with a look that clearly looked like she was hoping you weren’t.

     You reminded yourself for the umpteenth time that Becky was your roommate and you should get along with her. And her boyfriend. At least he had said more than two words to you today. That was about the only redeeming thing you could think about your interaction with him at that moment.

     “Ah, a-actually… P-Papyrus will be here soon and I’ll be out u-until the evening as usual. E-excuse me, I just need to get my purse…” You were rubbing the back of your right hand. You just wanted to go grab your bag and wait out in the parking lot. Even if it was still raining. It felt like nothing good would come of chatting with these people.

     “Before that,” Ernie said as he leaned against your doorway, effectively blocking your path, “Let me give you some advice. Now, monsters aren’t completely useless. They’re kind of like animals. Hell, a lot of ‘em look like animals! They can be trained to do useful things for us. But you really shouldn’t confuse ‘em for people. ‘Cause they really aren’t. No matter what our government says. And wild animals that aren’t properly trained… They can end up hurting or killing you. You really oughta be more careful.” He was looking down at you while giving you a mock-worried look.

     You just stared at him, horrified and at a loss for words. “Y-y-you’re w-wrong,” you managed to stutter out. You were now trembling.

     Becky glanced back and forth nervously between you and Ernie, who was now sneering at you. “Um… Hun,” she said, “I know you’re trying to like enlighten her and all, but, you should probably like just let her get her bag and leave.”

     Ernie stepped to the side and gestured grandly at the door. You quickly ducked past him into the room. Just as you snatched up your purse, you heard the elevator doors open down the hall. Oh no. Please no. You couldn’t let him say those horrible things to Papyrus!

     “OH… UM… GREETINGS ROOMMATE HUMAN BECKY AND… FRIEND? I HAVE COME UP HERE TO MEET… OH! THERE YOU ARE! ARE YOU… Er…” Papyrus’s bright smile turned into a slight look of concern as you walked as quickly as you could past Ernie and Becky, giving Paps a warning look. You grabbed his arm and practically dragged him after you, oversized yellow poncho and all.

     You heard Ernie say, “Oh wow, there’s two of ‘em?” followed by a shush from Becky as you and Papyrus entered into the elevator, you jamming the button repeatedly to close the door and take you to the ground floor. You stood there trembling in your anger. Anger and shock that there were still people who thought like that. Anger at yourself for not defending the ones you care about properly. Ah crap, now you were trying not to cry. And the day had started so well.

     “I Would Question If You Are Ok, But You Are Clearly Not. May I Instead Ask What Happened?” Papyrus said, giving you a concerned look. You shook your head at the floor. You couldn’t answer or look at him just yet as you tried to regain your composure. You were not going to cry. You weren’t.

     “Did they hurt you?” He asked quietly. Too quietly. His voice had lost its usual goofiness and had gotten eerily serious sounding all of a sudden. You looked up and he had this… Stoic, unreadable expression on his face as he studied you. His eye sockets seemed more hollow and he had no hint of a real smile. For once, he was completely still. It was a little… Unsettling. Kind of like the look Sans had gotten weeks and weeks ago when he thought you had hurt his brother. You would have been scared had you not guessed that this look wasn’t being directed AT you.

     “N-no!” You squeaked. You cleared your throat. “Ah… Ernie… Becky’s boyfriend… He… He just said horrible things about monsters in general.” You wiped at your eyes. The elevator doors opened and you all stepped out into the dorm lobby area. Luckily, no one was hanging around to see the scene you were making. “I was j-just shocked… Didn’t know w-what to say… I should have defended you all better… The people I care about… I should have…”

     Papyrus surprised you by suddenly grabbing you into a crushing hug… Which then turned into a noogie. You were effectively stunned enough to be cut off from your train of thought.

     “NYEH HEH HEH! WELL, IF THAT’S ALL IT WAS, WORRY NOT! AS I’VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, WORDS DO NOT HURT THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOU SHOULDN’T LET THEM HURT YOU EITHER! YOU TOO CAN BE GREAT LIKE ME AND FOCUS ON ONLY HAPPY THINGS! LIKE RAVIOLI!!! DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD HAND-MAKE LITTLE SQUARES OF PASTA AND STUFF THEM WITH THINGS LIKE MUSHROOMS AND CHEESE?? WE HAVE TO TRY THIS!! TODAY!!!” He released you and you couldn’t help but smile at his excitement and antics, glad he had returned to his usual self.

     Hm, you would mentally file his previous reaction away for now. Though a noogie? Really? He had been hanging around Undyne too much. You took out your hair band to run your hands through and fix your now disheveled hair. He was right, though. There really was no point in being upset over horrible things people said. You were going to try to forget about it and reclaim your earlier good mood.

     He surprised you again by slipping off his poncho and putting it over you as you both neared the door leading to the parking lot. Arg, you were drowning in that giant thing! You went to protest, “But you’ll….”

     He interrupted again, “NO BUTS! YOU FORGOT YOUR COAT AND IT IS STILL RAINING A LITTLE OUTSIDE! YOU REALLY NEED TO BE MORE MINDFUL OF YOUR HEALTH! LUCKY FOR YOU, THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS LOOKS OUT FOR HIS FRIENDS!”

     There was really no arguing with him so you just smiled and thanked him. Luckily, his “phone weather application thing” was right and the storm really had lightened up. The rain was a light drizzle at that point. As you were getting in the car (thanks to the rain, the top was still up), you noticed his outfit for the day: scarf and gloves (his staple), cut-off jorts, and a black shirt with ’Hella Fresh’ in an obnoxious neon font. You had to put a hand over your mouth to keep from cracking up laughing. You realized you were failing as Papyrus gave you a confused look before closing your door and getting in on the driver’s side.

     “WHILE I AM HAPPY TO SEE YOU HAVE CHEERED UP, I AM CONFUSED WHAT YOU FIND SO AMUSING.”

     “Ha ha, ok. I’ve g-got to ask. Why all the 90’s phrases on your shirts? Ah! Not that I don’t find them awesome! I do! I’m just curious.”

     Papyrus glanced behind him as he backed out the car and angled it towards the road. “NINETIES PHRASES? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND! I HAVE FASHIONED MY COOL STYLE AFTER THE WAY OF THE YOUNG HUMANS IN THE MANY VHS TAPES WE ACQUIRED IN THE UNDERGROUND!”

     Well, that explained it. “Paps… You know people don’t really watch VHS tapes anymore, right? Media has kind of advanced since then.”

     “OF COURSE I KNOW THAT! IT’S NOT LIKE I LIVE UNDER A ROCK… WELL I GUESS I TECHNICALLY DID…” You cringed a little at that last statement. “ANYWAY, I CAN APPRECIATE THE CLASSICS! HAVE YOU EVEN SEEN THE FRESH DUKE OF REL BLAIRE?!”

     “Ha ha ha! Of course! E-everyone has. But you know that show is probably decades old, right? It was made in the 1990s. Likely all of your VHS tapes were made around then. Hence, 90’s phrases.”

     “WELL, THEN THAT JUST MAKES MY STYLE ALL THE MORE COOL! BECAUSE IT IS RETRO! I AM COOL WITHOUT EVEN CONSCIOUSLY TRYING!!”

     Well, you couldn’t argue with that logic. But you could mess with him. “True. You’re one cool dude! Like totally rad! Far out, man!”

     “OF COURSE! NYEH HEH HEH…Wait. ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!”

     “As If! No way, homeboy.” You were trying not to laugh, but you just had to tease him a little.

     He cut you a side glance as he drove, “YOU ARE!! I KNOW JAPERY WHEN I HEAR IT!”

     “Dude! Don’t freak out on me, dawg! Take a chill pill!” You said in your best “California Surfer Dude” accent.

     “I WILL NOT BE SUBJECTED TO YOUR RIBBING… NYEH! LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME SAY! I HATE THIS!!!” He huffed, gripping the wheel tighter and glaring at the road ahead.

     You laughed, not able to help yourself. You could see why Sans got his brother worked up all the time. Papyrus was adorable when he got all huffy! You could tell he wasn’t really mad as he was simultaneously stifling a grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. You decided to help his grin along by poking him in the side of his ribs… Because ribbing. Hah, it worked! He jumped a little and smiled. Was he ticklish?

     “NYEH HEH… IRKSOME HUMAN! DO NOT DISTRACT THE DRIVER! SERIOUSLY THOUGH, NO MORE POKING FUN AT THE SKELETON! LITERALLY OR FIGURATIVELY.”

     “Ha ha, ok ok. I’m sorry. So t-tell me about the ravioli.”

     Papyrus was delighted to go into a long monologue about all the research he had done and the recipes he found. Luckily, he had bought all the ingredients beforehand as he knew you hated shopping in large crowds. And large crowds were likely on a Saturday after a storm. Aw, he was the best! Wait… Did that mean he skipped sleeping again? Just as you were getting ready to ask him, the car made a strange squealing noise followed by a grinding noise and suddenly cut off. By sheer luck, it still had enough momentum and there was enough room on the shoulder of the road for Papyrus to pull over and slam on the brakes. You both jolted forward against your seat belts but were otherwise ok.

     “ARE YOU OK??” You asked each other simultaneously, concerned once he had gotten the car to a stop.  
  
     “I-I’m ok,” you said shakily. “But y-your car!” There was now smoke pouring from under the hood. You both exchanged nervous glances and quickly exited the car. You could feel your legs shake and your heart was still pounding. Papyrus popped the hood and you both stared completely lost at the complexity of the inner workings of the convertible. Your heart rate gradually slowed to a more reasonable pace.

     “I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT! MY FANCY CAR HAS NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE! IT SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS! ITS EXPERIENCE POWER IS OVER 176,000!!!”

     “What… What are you talking about? Experience power?” You coughed and fanned some of the quickly dissipating smoke away from your face. At least it didn’t look like the car was going to catch fire at this point. That was about the extent of your car knowledge.

     “THE CAR’S POWER! THE NUMBERS UNDER THE THING THAT TELLS HOW FAST YOU ARE DRIVING! THE NUMBERS THAT INCREASE THE MORE YOU DRIVE! YOU KNOW, ITS EXPERIENCE POWER!”

     “… The odometer?” You knew his car was older, you had just never realized it had that many miles on it already! You stood there with your arms crossed, staring down into the engine. Papyrus took off his gloves, pocketing them. He stood prodding randomly at various parts with his right hand while he scratched his chin with his left. You got the impression he had about as much car knowledge as you did… Maybe less.

     “YES, ODOMETER. THAT THING. HMMM… I THINK WE SHOULD CALL ALPHYS… WAIT, SHE IS OUT OF TOWN. MAYBE SANS. HE KNOWS ABOUT THESE KINDS OF THINGS.” He quickly took out his cellphone, dialing Sans.

     As it was no longer raining and you were getting a little warm, you went to deposit the ridiculous oversized poncho on the passenger seat. Within about 10 seconds after Papyrus was talked through how to activate the “coordinates feature” Alphys had installed on his phone (probably at Sans’ request), Sans appeared beside you. You maybe jumped a little. Gah, you should be used to him doing that by now! You scowled as he chuckled at you.  
  
     “woah, car-ful now, buddy. calm down. wouldn’t want ya to… blow a gasket.” You tried and failed to keep a scowl as your face betrayed you by breaking into a grin.

     “SANS! THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS!” Papyrus motioned frantically at his engine as he made distressed sounds. Sans sighed and ambled over to the front of the car next his brother, swinging his toolbox as he walked.

     “ok. so, what happened?” He asked, looking up at his brother.

“WELL, IT MADE A NOISE IT NEVER MADE BEFORE. THEN IT JUST STOPPED WORKING! THERE WAS ALSO SMOKE BUT IT STOPPED TOO…” Papyrus started wringing his hands.

     “hm…” Sans said. Paps and you stood to the side, watching as Sans set down the toolbox and stood on tiptoes, leaning over to inspect the engine. Sans started pulling out tools and mumbled as he worked… Car speak. You really didn’t understand what he was talking about. It was as if he was speaking another language. You were kind of surprised he seemed to know so much about cars. Luckily, the road was not super busy and there was plenty of room to work safely. You glanced over at Papyrus and he looked just as lost as you were.

     After few minutes of this, Sans straightened up and looked kind of frustrated. “welp,” he said as he chucked the wrench back in the toolbox. “looks like it’s finally a goner.”

     “Y-You Can’t Fix It?” Papyrus said, eye sockets wide. Ah, he loved that car. He was getting upset.

     Sans took out his handkerchief to wipe his hands as he packed up his toolbox, not looking at his brother. “bro. the cost to fix it, it’ll cost more than the car is worth. and even if we did fix it, we’d eventually have to keep on fixing things until we replaced the whole engine.”

     Oh no. Papyrus was starting to look devastated. You had to get Sans’ attention. “Hey, S-sans…”

     Sans continued, not looking up, clearly annoyed. “that car. we knew when we got the thing it wouldn’t last long. but it just had to be a convertible, with more than two seats. and this piece of junk was all we could afford at the time.”

     You looked nervously back and forth between Papyrus and Sans, the former fighting tears and the latter obliviously packing up. “Sans, y-you might want to…”

     You must have been speaking too quietly, because he didn’t seem to hear you as he continued, “this thing was a money pit from the start. maybe next time we can spend our money wisely and get a more reasonable and reliable… ah shit.” Sans finally looked up and noticed his brother’s emotional state.

     “LANGUAGE!!!” Papyrus shrieked. He then sniffled and quickly wiped at one of his eye sockets. “FINE. IT’S FINE. I’M FINE. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL JUST HAVE TO SAVE UP TO FIND A MORE WORTHY CAR. I WILL JUST HAVE TO PICK UP SOME EXTRA GUARD SHIFTS… OR I COULD GET A SECOND JOB. I WILL JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS TO WORK FOR A WHILE… I Will Have To Tell Alphys And Undyne.” He looked over at you. “Oh, And Our Hangouts…” He was starting to look very dejected.  
  
     Sans was scratching the back of his skull, hesitating and looking like he was feeling all kinds of guilty.

     “Ah! I-I can take the bus too!” You quickly reassured Papyrus as you awkwardly patted his arm. “I… We can still hang out! N-No way would I miss our Saturday cooking sessions! This… Things will work out! Be positive, remember?” You said, smiling up at him.

     He looked down at your hand on him and smiled a little. “I Know You Do Not Like Being In Crowded Places. I Would Not Make You Do That…”

     You were about to protest when Sans interjected. “eh, we don’t even have to worry about all that. listen, we have some money. a little bit. stashed away for a rainy day. well, seems it’s been pretty rainy since last night. how about we do some car shopping?”

     “Sans. I Know We Don’t Exactly Have A Lot Of Money. YOU SHOULD SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR SOMETHING YOU WANT!”

     “i want you to be happy. you know, out there driving around and not skulking around the apartment bothering me. besides… i probably didn’t help matters much when i put your car on the roof. probably not the best way to treat an old car, prank or no prank. so just look at this as a sort of apology. trust me, we’ll be able to afford this. we'll talk about it later, ok bud?” You had the feeling that Sans really meant the fact that he just wanted his brother to be happy.

     Papyrus sniffled again. “…Ok.”

     “ok. now that that’s settled, what say we all file into the car and i’ll take us home?” Sans cracked his knuckles and neck before picking up his toolbox and heading for the back door of the car. Papyrus closed the hood and went for the passenger’s side to open the door for you. You were a bit confused.

     “Um…” You hesitated at the front of the car.

     Sans set the toolbox down in the back seat, looking up when he noticed you didn’t follow them. “what’s the matter kid? oh. hehe, never taken a shortcut before, have you?”

“OH! WORRY NOT, HUMAN! IT IS JUST MOVING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER INSTANTLY!” He grinned at you reassuringly.

     Oh, just that then? You gulped, feeling a little nervous about the whole prospect. You had seen Sans appear and disappear all the time, and he did carry stuff with him while he did this. You had just never thought about the fact that he could also carry other people. Let alone a group! Let alone a whole car! You really did have a lot to learn about the way your friends’ magic worked.

     “O-ok,” you said, as you took your seat on the passenger’s side and Papyrus closed the door. Sans got into the back seat as Papyrus got in the front seat. You could do this, you told yourself. In the rearview mirror, you saw Sans get an intense look of concentration, the pupil in his left eye socket flaring a bright blue as his right socket went dark. The glow slowly spread out from him over you all and the car. The air around you sort of buzzed, like it was filled with static electricity. You could do this, you told yourself again. You trusted your friends. No need to be nervous. You felt a bony hand slide into your left hand. Your eyes met Papyrus’ eye sockets and he smiled and squeezed your hand a little.

     “Don’t Be Scared. It Will Be Less Disorienting If You Shut Your Eyes.” You did shut your eyes and squeezed his hand back. The next instant you felt a sensation similar to going down the hill of a rollercoaster mixed with the sensation you get after spinning for a while and finally stopping. The feeling only lasted a few seconds and when it passed, you opened your eyes to find the car in its usual spot in front of the apartment building. Wow. Never in your wildest dreams would you have ever imagine actually being teleported! You heard Papyrus awkwardly clear his throat and realized you still had a firm grip on his hand. Ah! You quickly let him have his hand back as both of you blushed a little.

     You glanced in the rearview mirror again and Sans was dabbing at his forehead with his handkerchief, seemingly catching his breath after using so much magic at once. You supposed it made sense that using a lot of magic would tire a monster out, since they are made of the stuff. Well, maybe he didn’t notice the whole hand-holding thing. You knew how overprotective Sans was of his brother and you weren’t really ready for that conversation just yet. You weren’t even entirely sure where you and Paps stood with each other.

     Papyrus and Sans got out of the car, Papyrus walking over to open your door for you per usual, but maybe not as enthusiastically. Aw, he was staring at his car, looking a little down again. You waited to let him open your door, knowing how he liked to do that.

     “If It Is All Right With You, I Will Meet You Inside The Apartment In A Few Minutes,” he said as you got out of the car.

     You realized he probably wanted to sit in his car one last time. Give it a proper farewell. “D-do you want me to stay with you?” You offered, looking up at him.

     “No… You And Sans Go On Ahead. I Will Just Be A Few Minutes.” He offered you a sad smile. You really didn’t want to leave him alone but understood. Sans and Papyrus exchanged a nod and Papyrus got back into the car. You followed after Sans as he got out his keys to unlock the door.  
  
     “you seemed to… hand-le that well,” Sans said, as he opened the door. Well, that answered your earlier question about him noticing. As he got the door open, he trained his eye lights on you and gave you one of his fake smiles. “let’s go have a sit on the couch, kiddo. got something to talk to you about before paps comes in.” Well, crap.


	10. Still Saturday, 10/12/20XX: Long Day Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter posts Friday. Thanks again for reading! ^-^

Still Saturday, 10/12/20XX

     “pfft, you look like you’re about to be interrogated.” Sans was regarding you with amusement as he propped one foot on the table and sat slightly in the corner of the couch so he could face you. You sat on the opposite end slightly facing him too, sitting tensely.

     “W-well, isn’t that what this is?” You asked timidly, picking at a stray thread on one of the cushions.

     “nah. you forget, you and paps are like open books. like one of those kid books with the extra large font. no, i wanted to ask a favor, actually.” He scratched the back of his skull sheepishly. Kind of a habit both brothers shared. Huh. Sans had never really asked you for anything significant before. You were so surprised by this you ignored the kid book comment.

     “Oh! Of course! Anything! What do you need?” You were eager to help with whatever needed to be done.

     “heh, kid. don’t agree before you’ve even heard the request. so i’ve been kind of keeping my eye sockets open for decent used cars in the area. you know, just in case the old convertible gave out. and there’s actually this newer convertible i found. lower mileage. 4 doors like the old one. paps and his convertibles. anyway, i was thinking of picking it up today. but kind of want it to be a surprise. so i figure you all can do your cooking thing and keep him distracted for a while. and when i get back? i may have to, you know, stretch the truth a bit about how i came to purchase this car. so don’t make a face or anything when i tell him.” He looked at you, slightly guilty smile on his face.

     “Y-you want me to lie? To Papyrus?” You didn’t like that. You didn’t like that at all.

     “i didn’t say that. what i said was just don’t make a face or say anything when i stretch the truth. listen, paps needs this car. and i know he would argue about the cost. saying he would want to save the money or would settle on yet another cheap piece of junk. he would feel bad if he thought i spent too much on something for him. he deserves to be happy, you know?”

     “Of course! But… But if this is about money… I’ve… I’ve got some money saved up too.” Sans made an annoyed expression and looked like he was about to interrupt. “N-No! I see the face you’re making. Hear me out. Paps is always driving me around and has never asked for anything in return. I want him to be happy too! Then you wouldn’t have to lie to him! Let me help with this!”

     Sans fake smiled at you. “no. end of discussion.”

     “At least talk to him about this! He’s an adult! You don’t need to hide things from him and baby him and…”

     “end of discussion.” He looked at you darkly, pinpoints of light nearly gone from his sockets.

     You let out an annoyed puff of air. You knew arguing with him would get you nowhere at this point, so you let the topic drop for now.

     He kept his fake smile in place and his eye lights returned to normal when he saw you were done arguing. “well, with that settled, give me about an hour or two and i should be able to go get the car without falling over or anything. heh, minor disadvantage to being lazy.”

     Hm, you were right in your earlier suspicion about him using too much magic at once. And Sans had teleported kind of a long distance to the car and then teleported the entire car back to the apartment. And now he was going to be teleporting yet another car or maybe even two (as you knew he didn’t drive). You weren’t entirely sure how magic worked and worried for Sans’ safety. He definitely was the type that would sacrifice his own health to make sure his brother was happy.

     “Sans… Will you be ok? You’ve been using a lot of your magic to teleport around today and while I don’t exactly understand magic, y-you seem tired. I don’t want you to get sick or hurt or anything and I know Paps feels the same way. Isn’t there a limit to how much magic you can use in a day?” Sans sighed and again awkwardly scratched the back of his skull.

     “alright kiddo. i figured you’d eventually have questions about how monsters work and magic and all that. so here’s the deal. i’m here for you. really i am. anything you need, any questions you have about us… go ask Alphys. i really don’t want to be involved in that discussion.” He smirked at you and you frowned at him, trying not to smile yourself. It would just encourage him. For such a nice guy, he could still be kind of a jerk.

     “heh, but yeah, i’m ok. just need something to eat and then a nap.” He raised his eyebrow bones up at you hopefully.

     “I suppose you want me to go get you some ketchup and one of those bags of junk food you keep?” You asked, knowing full well what he wanted.

     “see? you already know plenty enough about me. practically a mind reader.” He winked at you as he slumped down further on the couch, getting more comfortable. You sighed and got out of the way before he could prop his dirty slippered feet on your lap. He would do that too. You swore he liked to watch you jump sometimes.

     Like the good friend you were, you fetched him his popato chisps and bottle of ketchup from the fridge (why he liked to keep the chisps in the fridge, you would never understand). You handed them over and he hesitated before popping open the ketchup bottle, smirking again.

     “did i ever tell you how proud i was of you and paps for that prank you pulled off? one of the best days i’ve had in recent memory.” He popped a few chisps in his mouth and took a gulp of ketchup as you looked down at him.

     “That’s kind of sad, Sans. Y-you need to find better things to do with your time.”

     He almost spit out his ketchup as he started laughing. “heh heh heh, you sound like paps. that’s hilarious.”

     “Speaking of… He’s been out there a while. Should I go check on him?” You glanced worriedly at the door.

     “nah, you know how he is. let him get ahold of himself. he’ll be ok.” Sans stared blankly at his ketchup as he swirled it. “i probably shouldn’t have gotten angry over that stupid car. or even mentioned getting a more reasonably priced model. for years, when we were in the underground, i used to grab him every car magazine that i could get my hands on. he dreamed about one day driving a convertible on the surface. that’s all he ever wanted. well, besides joining the royal guard, having lots of friends, being able to cook spaghetti, getting a hedge trimmed in the shape of his face, something about selling flames… such simple things. heh, except maybe the flames thing. who am i to make him compromise one of his dreams? he deserves to have everything he wants out of life. you know, he’d do anything for anybody. always thinks the best of himself and everyone around him. he really is the coolest person i know. hell, if it weren’t for him, i probably wouldn’t do anything. ever.” He looked up at you, putting another fake smile in place. “heh, sorry buddy. guess i tend to ramble on when i’m tired.”

     You fixed him with a purposeful stare, determined to get through to him on this point. “He is cool. But so are you! You are always there for your brother! A-and any of your other friends when they need you. You’ve helped me many times… Even if it was just listening while I complained. You really should give yourself more credit! You deserve to be happy too!”

     His fake smile faltered briefly, but he recovered, chuckling. “heh, ok buddy. whatever you say. i’m too tired for all this. think i’ll have that nap now. wake me in an hour.” He set his ketchup bottle and half-eaten bag of chisps on the floor as he pulled his hoodie over his eyes, effectively ending the conversation.

     You frowned down at him, shaking your head as he started to snore softly. Sans really fell asleep fast. You wish you could have made him understand. He did deserve to be happy! You were more and more starting to get Papyrus’ worry and frustration over his brother. Papyrus… Was he really ok? Just as you were again debating going out to check on him, he entered the apartment. He looked a little bummed but otherwise ok. You waved at him and motioned with your head toward the couch, letting him know his brother had fallen asleep. He nodded and pointed toward the kitchen, starting to head over. You followed him.   
  
     “I’m sorry about your car,” you said quietly as Papyrus absently closed the fridge door you had left slightly ajar. Oops.

     “Worry Not. For I Have Said My Goodbyes And Am Ready To Move On To Better Things! The Great Papyrus Will Drive Again Someday!” He gave one of his signature heroic poses and you smiled fondly up at him.

     You thought again about Sans’ plan to just go out and buy a car and then lie about it to his brother. While his intentions were good, you really didn’t feel good about that idea. You got the impression Sans had been doing things like that for years. Taking care of things and shielding his brother from the harsher realities of the world. Did he notice? You thought again about last night and remembered how Papyrus had basically said people treat him like a naive child. And he was happy you didn’t. You felt guilty. But who were you to interfere with he and Sans’ relationship and the way they did things?

     “You Look Like You Are Still Worrying. About Car Things. This Is Not What You Should Be Worried About. What You Should Be Concerned With, Right Now. Is…” He reached into the cabinet, punctuating every word as he set out the ingredients one by one, “HOW. THE. RAVIOLI. NEEDS. COOKING!!”

     “Papyrus! Your brother! He’s trying to sleep.” You glanced warily in the direction of the den.

     “SANS SLEEPS THROUGH ANYTHING! IT IS YET ANOTHER ONE OF HIS SPECIAL TALENTS! PLEASE GRAB ME THAT POT FROM THE BOTTOM CABINET!”

     Well, he was probably right. You figured Sans would have had to have learned to sleep through his brother’s volume over the years. Besides, Papyrus seemed to be cheering up now that you all were getting ready to cook.

     A while later into your cooking session, Papyrus was working on the sauce and filling while you had just finished kneading the dough. (You had volunteered for dough duty as you knew it would probably be a pain for Paps to scrub it out of his finger bones later). The dough had to be wrapped and refrigerated for an hour. Washing your hands, you glanced at the clock. Almost an hour had passed since Sans had fallen asleep. You still didn’t feel good about deceiving Papyrus, no matter how good the intentions. And you were worried about Sans spending so much money. Could they really afford it? Were you being too nosy worrying about such things? You were surprised out of your musings when you looked up to see Papyrus standing there, staring down at you with a concerned expression. He reached out to brush some stray hair out of your face and tuck it behind your ear.

     “Is Everything Ok? You Seem A Little… Troubled.” Ah man, you had really opened a flood gate giving him permission to touch you sometimes. And apparently his and your definition of “sometimes” were very different. Problem was, you really didn’t mind it. At all. His hand had stilled on the side of your face. He was staring down at you as you stared up at him. Had he asked you a question? In the background you heard loud hisses and plops as you noticed the sauce boiling over behind him. It was enough to break you out of whatever trance you had been in.

     “Ah! Papyrus, the sauce!” He jolted, dropping his hand and turning back to the sauce. He quickly lowered the heat as he stirred it, blushing. What… What was that just then? You shook your head, suddenly needing to splash some water on your face.

     “Ah.. I’ll be right back… Just… Um… Need to use the bathroom.” Well, that wasn’t a complete lie at least. You headed out toward the den, suddenly remembering that you were supposed to be waking up Sans and feeling guilty all over again… But it seemed Sans had already left.

     You soon returned to the kitchen, replacing the ketchup bottle and chisps back in the fridge. Papyrus met your eyes briefly and quickly looked away, stirring the sauce zealously as he stared at it.

     “I.. I AM SORRY… SORRY YOU HAD TO CLEAN UP AFTER SANS!” He said, seemingly relieved he had thought about something to talk about. “THOUGH HE DOES HAVE AN EXCUSE TODAY… HE IS PROBABLY VERY TIRED AFTER EVERYTHING EARLIER. IS HE STILL SLEEPING?” Papyrus looked at you, slight concern on his face. Ah man, this was your cue to cover for Sans. You hesitated.

     “Um… He… He isn’t on the couch. M-maybe he went to his room? To sleep th-there?” Ah, Sans shouldn’t have asked you to cover for him. You were a terrible liar! And now Papyrus was eyeing you with confusion.

     “Ok…” He said, still looking confused. He probably didn’t believe you and knew you were up to something, but he didn’t question you further as you both continued to cook. Eventually you both settled back into your usual happy chatter.

     It was early evening by the time you finished the ravioli. It actually turned out pretty good! Only a few of the ravioli had gotten burnt around the edges. All in all, you both were pretty proud of your creation as you happily ate together! As Papyrus was cleaning the kitchen and you were setting aside a plate for Sans, Sans stumbled through the front door. He had his hands in his hoodie pockets and signature fake grin in place and was trying to maintain a relaxed stance. Through it though you could see he looked exhausted.   
  
     “SANS! YOU WENT OUT! WHERE WERE YOU? …YOU LOOK… TIRED.”

     “heh, funny you should mention that. where i was, definitely has to do with tires.”

     Papyrus looked at his brother blankly. “…YOU ARE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE.”

     “funny you mention cents too. ‘cause the two definitely go together.”

     “SANS!!! STOP SPEAKING IN PUNS. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO TELL ME WHERE YOU WERE, THAT IS FINE. I THINK YOU SHOULD EAT SOMETHING! WE MADE RAVIOLI!”

     “maybe you should look out in the parking lot first.” Sans stood patiently smiling up at his brother, waiting for him to get what he was hinting at.

     “…WHY WOULD I NEED TO GO TO THE PARKING LOT?” …He would probably be waiting a while. You decided to help.

     “Well, I’m curious what’s out there…” You said as you started to head toward the door. Sans winked at you and opened it.

     “THERE’S SOMETHING OUT THERE?” Papyrus asked as he went to follow.

     Well, you really weren’t expecting THAT. Waiting in the space that was previously occupied by his old car was a very new-looking shiny red convertible! The color was a little lighter than his old car. It had four chrome hubcaps that were very shiny. The top looked like new and had no patches in it. Papyrus was so shocked and excited that you swore literal cartoony eyes briefly bugged out of his eye sockets. You would later marvel at that weirdness but right now you were too caught up in his happy excitement as he ran all around it making little excited squeaks, not even words.

     “I-IS THAT FOR ME? IS THAT MINE?” He finally managed when words returned to him.

     “yes.” Sans held out the keys for him. Instead of taking the keys, Papyrus scooped his brother off his feet into a tight hug.

     “SANS!!! I LOVE THIS CAR!!! HOW DID… WHERE DID… HOW…”

     “bro. deep breaths, buddy. calm down. you’re kind of crushing my ribs.” He laughed/coughed and Papyrus quickly put him down. Sans placed the keys in his brother’s hands as Papyrus stared at them, doubt starting to cloud his face.

     “SANS… THIS… THIS CAR IS AMAZING. BUT… IT LOOKS EXPENSIVE. HOW MUCH DID YOU SPEND ON THIS?”

     “don’t even worry about it. i was scanning gregslist and happened upon a little old lady who wanted rid of the thing. sold it real cheap. was able to go buy it before anyone else could. lucky for us, huh?” Papyrus totally bought it, eyes nearly brimming with happy tears. He again hugged his brother.

     “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! THIS IS THE BEST SURPRISE EVER!!! YOU ARE THE BEST BROTHER EVER!!! I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER SAID ABOUT YOUR LAZINESS!!! YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR SOCKS…”

     “alright, alright. sheesh. enough of that. why don’t you and your …friend go take it for a drive? see how it handles. i am going to go take a nap.” He waved before sticking his hands in his pockets and heading for the apartment.

     “AND YOU!!! YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS, DIDN’T YOU? NO WONDER YOU WERE ACTING ALL SUSPICIOUS!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!!!” He then scooped you up into a hug and you laughed and hugged him back. Papyrus set you down and then leapt over the passenger side door and opened the glove box, taking out the manual and pouring over it.

     “Ah… Paps. I’m going to go finish cleaning the kitchen while you read up on your nice new car. It is really nice! I’ll be back out in a few minutes and then maybe we can drive around?”

     “OK!” He called, not even looking up from the book. Hee, hee, he was completely in his own happy world right now. You doubted he had even really heard you. And you didn’t care at the moment. He was so happy! But that car… There was no way Sans got it for cheap.

     You entered the apartment and closed the door, startled when you noticed Sans slumped against the wall by the door, sweat dotting his skull.

     “shouldn’t you be out driving with my bro?” He said, looking up at you. You held out your hand to him and he sighed and took it, letting you help him over to the couch.

     “T-That doesn’t look like a used car off gregslist,” you said, concerned, as he collapsed onto the couch. “Are you ok? Should I go get your brother?”

     “m’fine,” He mumbled as he got more comfortable. “just need some sleep. don’t need paps worrying over me to do that. as for the car? it doesn’t matter,” Sans sighed again as he pulled his hoodie down over his eyes. “did you see how happy he was? totally worth it.” He smiled genuinely under his hood as he settled down to sleep. You couldn’t really argue his point. Though you still didn’t feel good about deceiving Papyrus. And you were worried about how much money he had likely spent. But it was already done. And Paps did look so very happy. Sans had already fallen asleep. You got up and finished cleaning the kitchen. Before leaving, you got out the half-eaten chisps as well as the plate of ravioli and bottle of ketchup. Sans was snoring. You set them within reach of the couch.

     Smiling, you quietly headed out to bask in the excitement that was Papyrus and his new car.


	11. Thursday, 10/17/20XX: Shipping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, seems I'm running a bit early on my chapters this week. *shrugs* Hope you all are having a lovely week!

Thursday, 10/17/20XX

     Sunday through Wednesday was relatively uneventful. Luckily, you didn’t see Becky much or her boyfriend at all during that time. Papyrus was completely ecstatic over his new car and had driven everyone around in it a few times over the last several days. Alphys and Undyne had returned late Sunday night and had had a great time at the convention. Both Alphys and Undyne had also been skeptical when Papyrus told them where Sans had found his car but they said nothing. Though you wondered if maybe Papyrus had noticed because he seemed a little quieter for a bit after telling them. If he had, he didn’t mention it. Alphys had asked how you fared during the storm and you had quickly said fine, not really wanting to go into details. She had given you a suspicious look but hadn’t pressed. You had kind of figured out over the past several weeks that Alphys and Undyne sort of… Shipped you and Papyrus. Ugh! Shipping real people was unethical! Especially friends! And they were so not subtle about it, even though they seemed to think they were. You still loved them though.

  
     It was Thursday evening and time for anime club. The club was showing an anime about some bald guy who could kill anyone with one hit. Even though it was shonen anime, you were really enjoying it! It was actually pretty hilarious! Undyne seemed particularly into it. She had gotten off work early again and was able to catch a few episodes with you and Alphys. Though at the end of the club meeting, she and Alphys were arguing over the scene where the main character stopped his punch just before hitting his cyborg friend’s face. And the mountain behind the cyborg was destroyed yet his friend remained unscathed.

     “I’m j-just saying, there is no way the force from that punch would have completely deflected around him,” Alphys argued as you all headed for the parking lot. “He should have been disintegrated by that. The sheer forces involved not to mention the trajectory…”

     “NGAHHH! None of that junk matters because he obviously USES MAGIC!!! They both do! He could have totally shielded his soul during that fight!” Undyne suddenly turned to you. “What do YOU think?”

     “I… I think I’d be better off staying out of this argument. Though… I thought h-humans couldn’t use magic,” you said as you adjusted your overnight bag on your shoulder. You were staying with the girls again that night.

     “Duh! Of course some humans can use magic! How do you think the barrier was even created in the first place??? Ah man, for someone who hangs out with monsters all the time you don’t know ANYTHING about our history!” Undyne rolled her eye at you and you cringed a little, feeling guilty.

     “Ehehe, says someone who once b-believed anime and manga depicted actual human history,” Alphys smiled fondly up at her girlfriend.

     “YOU TOLD ME it did! I still haven’t fully recovered from the shock that anime is not real, by the way,” Undyne sulked.

     You all reached the parking lot and Papyrus was standing there waiting, already in uniform since he had to work that night. Though he still took the time to drive you all back and forth.

     “Is… Is magic something that can be learned? Or is it m-more something you are born able to do?” You asked as you got into the passenger’s side of the fancy car. It still even had the new car smell. Alphys and Undyne climbed into the back. Seemed Papyrus was leaving the top up in the new car now that the weather was getting cooler. Was it rude to ask about their magic? You were starting to become more and more curious about it. “Ah… I… I’m sorry if asking about m-magic is rude.”

     “OH! You’re curious about magic, punk? We could TOTALLY go to the gym tonight and show you some stuff! We can walk there from the apartment!” Undyne grinned excitedly.

     “WHAT? THAT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA! THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT APPROVE OF THIS IDEA AT ALL! ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT! NOT SAFE!” Papyrus cut his eye sockets at Undyne through the rear-view mirror as he started driving.

     “Aw,” Undyne said in a mocking baby voice. “Is baby bones sad that he doesn’t get to teach the human about magic? Jealous she stays the night with us all the time and not you?”

     “I AM NOT JEALOUS!!! I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW I STAYED MOST OF THE NIGHT WITH HER JUST THE OTHER NIGHT! AT HER DORM! WHILE HER ROOMMATE WAS NOT THERE!! SO YOU… I… I… Um…” He suddenly went from annoyed to sheepish looking as he noticed all three girls gawking at him.

     Dammit Paps! He just had to blurt out something like that, didn’t he? You put a hand over your quickly reddening face. Alphys made an actual happy squeal from the back seat and clapped her hands over her snout. Uugh, you were in for a long night.

     “Sooo….” Undyne practically purred from the back seat.

     “PLEASE STOP,” You and Papyrus shouted simultaneously. He glanced over at you and you must have been glaring at him because he looked away nervously and was starting to sweat. Alphys let out another small squeal.

     The rest of the car ride was spent with awkward small talk followed by long bouts of silence as everyone danced around the elephant in the… Car. Papyrus pulled into the lot, parked, and ran around to open the doors for you all. He gave you a guilty, timid look as he opened your door. Ah, you couldn’t let him go to work in that state. He had been dealing with enough lately between his car breaking down and "confusing things" with you. Even if it did make things more awkward for you later, you had to talk to him.

     “Ah… If… If it’s ok, d-do you girls mind going on ahead to the apartment without me? I h-have to talk to Paps about something.” Papyrus actually gulped and Undyne grinned wolfishly at him while Alphys giggled.

     “Suuure, nooo problem,” Undyne crooned at you. “See ya upstaaairs!” They both giggled as they made their way to the elevator. You heard Undyne let out a cackle as the elevator doors closed. Sigh. It was definitely going to be a long night.

     “H-Human…” Papyrus stammered, scratching the back of his skull. “I Feel I Should Apologize. For… For Doing An Awkwardness. I Didn’t Mean… And You Looked Angry…”

     “Paps. I-It’s ok. It wasn’t… You didn’t do it on purpose. I’m not mad. I promise.” You offered him a smile and an awkward arm pat. He visibly relaxed and let out a sigh.

     “I Am Still Very Sorry. Undyne Has Been Needling Me A Lot Lately… About… Things. I Know She Does Not Mean Anything By It. BUT SHE GOES OVERBOARD!” He threw his hands up in exasperation, squinting his eye sockets.

     “I know. She and Alphys… They do it to me too. Ah, I-I don’t think they mean anything by it either. I-I’ll talk to them.” You looked down at your right hand as you rubbed it. “Anyway, I’m sure you’ve got to get back to school. G-guard duty and all.”

     “Yeah,” he said, a little sadly, but then recovered. “OF COURSE! WELL… I WILL MEET YOU AT THE CAR AT THE USUAL TIME TOMORROW! HAVE FUN! OH, AND SERIOUSLY, DO NOT PLAY AROUND WITH MAGIC TONIGHT!”

     “Ha ha, I doubt that will even be an issue now…” You said, wincing slightly at what you knew was waiting for you when you got upstairs. “You have a good night too!”  

     “OK!”

     “Ok.”

     “…” You both hesitated, then for once you broke the silence. “Um…awkward hug?” You offered with your arms outspread and what was probably a crooked smile.

     Papyrus grinned and leaned down to squeeze you briefly, both of you patting each other’s backs before you parted. You both were sort of flustered again. You both noticed each other’s states and laughed a little.

     “D-do you think we’ll ever be less… a-awkward around each other?” You stammered.

     “I Do Not Know. Maybe? Does It Really Matter?” Papyrus said as he ruffled your hair. “If You Are Happy, The Great Papyrus Is Happy Too.”

     “I’m happy,” you said, smiling up at him as you fixed your hair.

     “GOOD! SEE YOU TOMORROW!” He grinned at you again and got into his car, driving off.

     The elevator ride to the third floor was too short. You slowly made your way to the girls’ apartment, noticing they had left the door slightly ajar for you. Alright… Time to face your doom in 5, 4, 3, 2… You pushed open the door. You were met with a chorus of girly squeals and Undyne, in her excitement and forgetting your aversions, grabbed you up and gave you a noogie. Eh, it wasn’t so bad though. And definitely wasn’t the first time she had done that to you. You smiled forcefully as they continued to make incomprehensible excited noises at you as Alphas fanned her face and Undyne patted your back a little too hard. You did wince at that.

     “A-alright, alright. Guys. P-please stop. It’s… It’s not what you think…”

     “HOLD UP! NOT YET!” Undyne shushed you by raising a webbed palm into your face before she rushed off to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of snacks, and set it on the den table. She then grabed Alphys up under one arm (who yelped), and your arm with her other hand. She practically threw you into the love seat while she plopped Alphys next to her on the sofa and grabbed up a handful of snacks. “OK, GO!”

     “Ok… Y-you’re going to be disappointed. We’re not dating.”

     Alphys gasped and Undyne said, “WHAAAT?! BUT WHAT ABOUT HIM STAYING THE NIGHT WITH YOU?!”

     “Ah.. That… That was during the storm. He just came up there because... Um… I was scared and we just hung out and… Talked. As Friends. Nothing… Nothing happened.” You were staring at the floor.

     “Mhm. Nothing, eh?” You looked up to see Undyne raising an eyebrow at you. Jeez, even Alphys was giving you an incredulous look.

     “I… We… It’s… it’s not what you think! We just… Sort of hugged. As friends! Nothing like you’re implying happened! I don’t even… I’m not even… I don’t do the dating thing! I’ve never really wanted… I’m not really good at that kind of stuff! So please, please stop teasing me and Paps about this! We’re awkward enough around each other as it is!” You could feel yourself blushing as you once again concentrated on the floor. They really did keep their floor shiny and clean.

      Everyone was quiet for what felt like forever until Alphys spoke up. “But you do have feelings for him. M-more than just friendship.” It wasn’t a question, so you didn’t answer. You kept staring at the floor. She continued, “W-we’re just teasing you two because we’re happy for you. It’s always a happy thing to see two people who care about each other connect like that! Eheheh, I remember how awkward Undyne and I were w-when we first started dating… We certainly aren’t the most ‘traditional’…” She made actual air quotes. “Our first date was in a j-junkyard…” Alphys paused, considering for a second what she would say next. “There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing. Just because you didn’t… Relationships are confusing, n-no matter how you go about them. That doesn’t make what you have more or less real.”

     You looked up as Alphys glanced at her girlfriend. Undyne sheepishly scratched at one of her ear fins, saying “Alright. Good point. It’s just… Ah, man. You and Paps are just so friggin ADORABLE together! And I just want you to be as happy as Alphys and me.” She cast an adoring look over to her girlfriend as she patted her hand. “I’ll try to be better about not hassling you dweebs. I’m sorry too.” 

     “It’s ok. Thank you. Ahaha… So… Um, anime?” You offered, hoping to end the subject.

     You appreciated how quickly your friends were able to drop the topic as they gleefully started digging through their anime collection, finding something you all could watch. You all spent the rest of the night eating junk food and watching some older anime about a girl who was jilted by her childhood friend and took up acting for revenge. It was quite entertaining.


	12. Friday, 10/18/20XX: Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a new chapter in my increasingly inaccurate posting schedule. Happy "Tuesday!" Enjoy! ^~^

Friday 10/18/20XX

     The next morning you finished getting ready around the time Undyne returned from her morning jog with Papyrus per usual. Unusual, Alphys was awake and eating a bowl of sugary cereal while she sipped at some soda and read a manga. Ug, her eating habits were about as bad as Sans’. She smiled and nodded her head at you as you took a seat next to her. She offered you the box but you waved it away, trying not to cringe. Too much sugar for so early in the morning. You took out your phone to putz around on the internet. You still had some time before you had to head down to meet Papyrus.

     “Woah, woah! Look who’s awake!” Undyne exclaimed as she placed a loud, wet smooch on top of her girlfriend’s head. Alphys made a happy hum as she continued to read her manga. Undyne just missed giving you a noogie as you ducked her hand on her way by to grab a bowl and some milk. You were starting to get better at dodging those from her.

     She returned to the table with a bowl and milk and plopped an apple in front of you. “Eat, or I’ll never hear the end of it from Papyrus! Haha, I already caught an earful from him once today thanks to last night. Yeah… Sorry again. Anyway, enough about all that!” She poured herself a heaping bowl of cereal and poured milk over it until both cereal and milk sloshed out over the side. She then took in a huge mouthful of the sugary puffs, continuing, “Fwo weh wah tawkin,” she finished chewing and swallowed, “Paps and I, and if you’re serious about learning about magic, we can totally show you some cool stuff! Today! At the gym after your classes! Then, when Sans get off work, all of us can go out for pizza later! Whadda ya say, punk?”

     You took a bite of apple, thinking about it. Friday was usually your study day, but you were insanely curious about how magic worked. You could always get up early tomorrow before your weekly hangout with Papyrus. Or study Sunday.

     “Ugh, what’s with that look? Don’t tell me you’re hesitating because you’re thinking of studying or something! NERD! You ALWAYS study on Fridays! Come out with us! LIVE A LITTLE!!!” She slammed her hands on the table, jostling more milk and cereal out of her bowl. Neither you nor Alphys reacted much, well used to her antics by now.

     “Sweetie,” Alphys said, looking up from her manga and adjusting her glasses, “We don’t discourage academics.”

     “Ah… I actually really want to go. I-I’ll study on Sunday,” you declared, taking another bite of the apple.

     “YAAAASSS!” Undyne cheered. “Alphy, you coming too?”

     “Eh, actually I’ve got something I’m working on at the school tonight. I’ll be late. Sorry. Ehehe, it’s ok though. M-magic isn’t really my area of expertise anyway… Have fun!” She went back to reading her manga.

     “AWWW! But our double dat… Hah, sorry sorry!” She grinned at you apologetically, scratching an ear fin. She turned back to her girlfriend, disappointment on her face. “Ugh, fun times ruined by nerd stuff after all!”

     Alphys looked up again, fake pouting at her girlfriend. “B-but I thought you liked my nerd stuff…”

     Undyne got a slightly predatory look on her face, dropping her spoon and grinning at Alphys as she slid closer to her. “Oh, I can make an exception for some nerd stuff…”  
  
     “Ah! Ok, ok, th-that’s my cue to leave!” You squeaked, pocketing your phone and quickly grabbing up your bag and coat as both girls giggled. Ug, they could have at least waited until you left. But it was their house and they could flirt in it if they wanted to. Heh, and they were a pretty cute couple. You sighed and shook your head as you made your way down the stairs, throwing your apple core in a trashcan along the way. You put on your coat and adjusted your bag on your shoulder. It seemed a little heavier than normal. Hm, maybe you should work out more and go running with Paps and Undyne.

     Speaking of, he was leaning on his car waiting for you. He was wearing sunglasses today taped to his skull as well as one of his usual cool outfits. He straightened up and waved enthusiastically as you approached, rushing over to open the passenger door for you.

     “Morning!” You greeted him back. “How was work?”

     “WORK WAS… IT WAS OK. I DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT WORK.” He closed your door and got in on his side. Hm, he was moving more slowly today. He had just gone running with Undyne, though it usually didn’t affect his endless energy. Now you were a little worried.

     “Hey, is everything ok?” You asked as he got in his side and turned on the car.

     “EVERYTHING IS FINE. UM… SPEAKING OF. ARE YOU A PARKING TICKET?”

     “…what?”

     “BECAUSE YOU HAVE… UM… FINE WRITTEN ALL OVER YOU…”

     “…”

     “…”

     “…!”

     “…?”

     You burst out laughing. “Wha… What the heck was that???” You asked between gasps of breath and laughter.

     Papyrus’ face was deeply orange as he concentrated on driving and you tried to rein in your laughter. Aw, he was really embarrassed. Oh god, he really was. Now you felt really bad. “Ah… Where… Where is this even coming from?”

     “Undyne… She Said Maybe A ‘Pick-Up Line’ Would Help Make Things Less Awkward Between Us…” He kind of pouted at the road.

     “Aw, aw Paps. P-please don’t take relationship advice from Undyne. Wait… Why are you taking relationship advice from Undyne?” Oh. Oh no. No. You thought she had said she would stop messing with you all. Though she never said she wouldn’t meddle… Uuugh. “…What did she say to you?” You pinched the bridge of your nose, shutting your eyes and probably now blushing yourself.

     “N-Nothing In Particular. Nyeh Heh…” He laughed nervously.

     You could imagine she probably told him the entirety of you all’s conversation that happened the previous night. “Pull over.”

     “No! You Will Be Late To Classes!”

     “Pull over. We need to talk.”

     “NO! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU LATE TO YOUR SCHOOLING ON ACCOUNT OF ME!”

     “Paps, please pull over! Classes can wait.”

     “NO! YOU NEED TO BE ON TIME TO YOUR CLASSES AND WE WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROPERLY AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WANT TO SAY AND I NEED MORE TIME TO THINK OF SOMETHING AND I DO NOT WANT TO SAY SOMETHING MORONIC AGAIN AND I DID NOT EVEN MEAN TO INITIATE THIS SORT OF CONVERSATION IN THE FIRST PLACE AND…” He was rambling and starting to sweat.

     “Ok. Ok… It’s ok,” you said as you patted his back and he took a breath. “Later then, after I get out of classes.”

     “BUT… W-WEREN’T WE MEETING UP WITH ALPHYS AND UNDYNE? TO SHOW YOU COOL MAGIC STUFF? THEN MEETING UP WITH MY BROTHER LATER TO GO TO THE PIZZA PARLOR?”

     “That c-can wait. I’m sure Sans will understand. Alphys has to work late anyway and Undyne… I’m a little irritated with her r-right now.” You scowled.

     “DO NOT BE MAD AT UNDYNE! I REALLY THINK SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP! YOU… I… UM, YOU… NYEH. WE… We Will Talk Later.”

     “Later.” You agreed.

     The rest of the car ride was silent. You sent Undyne a text letting her know the get together was cancelled. She sent a text back.

Undyne: Whaaaaaat? Whyyyyyy? >_<

You: Because Papyrus and I need to talk now that you told him “pick-up lines” were a good idea.

Undyne: ….He didn’t. OH MY GOD, I WAS JOKING!!! HE TOOK ME SERIOUSLY??? OH NOOOOOOOO! LOL!!!

You: Not really funny right now.

Undyne: …I’m sorry.

Alphys: Oh my god, Undyne told me. She really does feel bad. Ehehehe, I think she forgets sometimes that Papyrus can’t always tell when she’s joking. ^~^;

You, to Alphys: It’s ok. Tell her it’s ok. We’ll talk later.

     Papyrus was watching you texting out of the corner of his eye socket behind his sunglasses, looking a little uncertain. You closed out of your phone and put it away in your bag.

     You soon pulled into the school parking lot and Papyrus parked and got out to open your door. Hm, he was still moving more slowly and you remembered he had dodged the question about work earlier.

     “Are you ok?” You asked as he opened the door for you. “I m-mean other than t-the obvious thing… Yeah. You just seem more tired today. Did something happen at work?”

     “I Am Ok,” he sighed as you got out of the car and he closed the door. “I Am Just A Little Tired. There Were Some Inebriated Students We Had To Attend To… It Was Just A Long Night. Worry Not.” He offered you a smile. You couldn’t really read his true expression on account of the sunglasses.

     “P-please at least take a nap today,” you said, giving him a concerned look.

     He kept his smile and nodded as he went to get back into his car. You waved and he waved back as you started to make your way toward your dorm. You looked back over your shoulder and noticed he was sitting in his car tapping his forehead against the steering wheel. Argh, you really wanted to go back and talk to him. He would just tell you to hurry to class though. Ah, class. You had just enough time to deposit your overnight bag in the dorm. As you got to the door, you saw him driving off out of the corner of your eye.

     You got to your room and opened the door, seeing that your roommate wasn’t there. You set your heavy overnight bag down. As you fished around in it for your phone, your hand hit an unfamiliar book. Curious, you pulled it out. It was a heavy leather-bound book that had been dyed blue. In faded gold lettering on the front was the title “A History of Monsters and Humans.” Stamped below it were the words “Snowdin Librarby.” They spelled “library” wrong. Hm… Curious. You opened the front cover and a note fluttered out. It read:

     “ _Thought you might find this useful to answer some of the questions you have. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to call or text. Love, Alphys ^-^_ ”

     Aw, Alphys!  That was really sweet. But where did this book even come from? Snowdin… Wait. Wasn’t that where Papyrus and Sans had lived in the Underground? Oh wow! This book was from the Underground! And from the looks of it, was very old and probably valuable! Ah, you couldn’t accept this! You would return it after borrowing it. Just borrowing it. Ah man, you couldn’t leave this in your dorm! What if Becky or Ernie found it? They might destroy it. You were pretty sure Ernie definitely would at least. You quickly stuffed it in your book bag, deciding the safest place for it would be on your person. Glancing at the clock you noticed you were running late… Again!

     You couldn’t pay attention in any of your classes. Ug, you’d have to study extra hard on Sunday to make up for it. You kept thinking about what you would say to Papyrus. What could you say to him? You knew you had strong feelings for him. You couldn’t deny that. You were pretty sure he had feelings for you too. But you were worried. No… Worried was too weak of a word. You were terrified. What could he possibly gain from a relationship with you? Why did he even have feelings for you? He was this amazing monster and you were just… Well… Some human who couldn’t even get along properly in a dating relationship with her own species. You were so out of your depth! The last boyfriend you’d had, you hadn’t been able to give him what he wanted and he left you. He left you and was out of your life. Just like everyone else left you. You couldn’t lose Papyrus.

     You were getting sweaty and your heart rate was picking up. No no no. No. Breathe. You closed your eyes, trying to control your breathing as you started to tremble. Stop thinking. Just breathe. Breathe. You took slow, deep breaths, concentrating on just your breathing. In, out. In, out. You felt your heart rate start to return to normal. Ok. Ok. Good. You were going to be ok this time. Keep breathing. You were ok. You could get up and leave if you needed to without anyone really noticing. You always sat by the door at the back of the room on purpose. But you didn’t need to leave this time. You were going to be ok. After a few minutes, you were starting to return to what normal was for you. Your professor was still at the front of the room lecturing. No one was looking at you. You were ok. But you needed a distraction. You thought about the blue book in your book bag, but decided that may attract too much attention. Instead, you doodled in your notebook for the rest of the class, trying not to think about anything in general.

     Right at 2PM when your last class ended, you got a text from Papyrus. He was in the parking lot. Waiting. You took a deep breath and headed over. Things would be ok. You just needed to clearly explain to him why dating you was probably not a good idea. How he would ultimately be disappointed. How hurting him was the last thing you ever wanted to do. How important he was to you and that you didn’t want to lose him.

     As you approached the car, you noticed he was still sitting inside of it staring blankly at his steering wheel, eye sockets slightly squinted. He had the same outfit on that he had worn earlier minus the sunglasses. You could now see how his eye sockets looked a little darker, more hollow. He looked exhausted. Ah, you doubt he had slept at all. Looking at him, you wondered when the last time he slept actually was. You quietly knocked on his window and he jumped, almost hitting his head on the top cover of the car. He quickly got out, greeting you.

     “S-SORRY! I… I DID NOT SEE YOU APPROACH! HOW… HOW ARE YOU?” He scratched the back of his skull as he fake smiled at you.

     “Paps, y-you didn’t sleep at all, did you? When was the last time you actually slept?” You asked, concern overriding your anxiety once again.

     “SLEEP… I… I DO NOT KNOW. I DO NOT NEED TO SLEEP. NYEH…HEH…”

     You sighed. “You look tired. Maybe we should postpone this t-talk of ours…”

     “OK… WAIT, NO!” He quickly said, then fiddling with his gloved hands, “No. We… I… We Need To Talk About Things. But Back At The Apartment. I… I MEAN IF THAT IS OK WITH YOU?”

     “…Ok,” You said, getting in the car as he opened the door for you. Ah, poor Paps. He didn’t look so good. Was this your fault? You felt really bad either way. And you were pretty sure postponing talking at this point would just make things tougher on him.

     The ride back to the apartment was silent. Neither one of you could think of anything to say. You didn’t even look over at him, trying to concentrate on the road ahead.

     Too soon you pulled up to the apartment. Too soon you all were at said apartment door, him unlocking the door to let you all in. Sans was at work. It was just he and you. This was it. No going back now. At any moment, one of you was going to open your mouth and say something that would change things between you two. Any moment now…

 


	13. Still Friday 10/18/20XX: Fine Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...sorry about this short "filler" chapter. =P But at least it's early again? Right? ...Right? ^~^;;

Still Friday 10/18/20XX

     You both just stood there, you rubbing your right hand and Papyrus fiddling with his gloves. You could hear each tick of the cheap battery-powered clock hanging on the wall by the kitchen. Tick. Tick. Tick. Somewhere outside, you could faintly hear the happy squeals of children as they played. A dog was also barking in the distance. Maybe even further away you heard a firetruck. You listened harder. Yeah, it definitely sounded like a firetruck. So many noises you didn’t usually notice…. One of you would have to say something eventually. You cleared your throat and started to speak just as Papyrus did the same.

     “So, I…”  
     “I THINK…”

     Your eyes met his eye sockets and you both laughed nervously, looking away again. God, you were becoming a trope. “You first,” you said.

     “I WAS JUST GOING TO SUGGEST… MAYBE SOME TEA?” He looked at you nervously, still fiddling with his gloves.

     “Yeah. Tea a-actually sounds pretty good right about now. I-I’ll help.”

     “OK.”

     “Ok.”

     You both paused briefly, then headed for the kitchen at the same time almost bumping into each other as you went. You both again paused and you waved your hands gesturing for Papyrus to go first. He hesitated and shook his head, willing you to go first. You waved more insistently that he should go first. He finally acquiesced, entering the kitchen. You went in after him. Papyrus filled the tea kettle with water while you pulled out some mugs and tea bags. He set the pot on the stove, cranking the heat. You set a tea bag in each mug. Then you both watched the kettle… But nothing happened. Of course not. Water doesn’t boil that fast. And hadn’t you heard that a watched kettle never boils? Or was that a pot?

     “Hey Paps?”

     “Y-YES?” He squeaked, then kind of cleared his throat. “WHAT… WHAT CAN I HELP YOU WITH?”

     “Is… Is it a watched pot or a watched kettle that n-never boils?”

     “A WATCHED POT I THINK…”

     “Ah…ok. T-Thanks.”

     “YOU ARE WELCOME.”

     You watched the kettle. Did you want the water to boil faster? The longer it took, the longer you could put off the inevitable. You both continued to watch the tea kettle. It smelled like something had stuck to the burner coils last time you cooked as you watched tiny whips of smoke rise from them. That dog was still barking outside off in the distance. The wall clock was still ticking. You heard the ceiling fan above you creak as it spun. Water was dripping from the faucet in the sink. You reached over and turned it off. You could hear the electric hum of the fridge. You had to break this silence or it would drive you crazy. But what to talk about? There had to be some sort of safe topic. Safe topics… Safe topics. Work! Work was a safe topic.

     “So, um… B-besides the drunk students… Anything else interesting h-happen at work?” You asked, looking up at him. Maybe you could get him talking about that. Anything to break the silence.

     “NOPE,” he said still staring at the kettle, as if daring it to start boiling.

     Well. So much for that idea. You both continued to watch the tea kettle as the clock kept ticking on the wall and the fan was creaking overhead and the fridge hummed. The dog in the distance had stopped barking. Had he finally been let inside? There was a dried splatter of sauce on the side of the counter. You scratched at it with your nail and wiped it away with your hand. Then, deciding that was pretty gross, you washed your hands.  Papyrus continued his steady stare-down with the tea kettle. Finally, steam did start to come from the spout with a little whistle. You were ready with the mugs as he filled them both. The tea smelled nice as it started to steep, coloring the water a rich yellow-tan color. It had sort of a sweet floral smell. Golden Flower Tea. Something Undyne had brought over a while ago. Apparently it was popular in the Underground. You picked up your mug and handed him his. You both stood in the kitchen, looking down into your mugs.

     “Well… I think w-we’re out of distractions,” you laughed.

     Papyrus smiled down at you. “NONSENSE! I HAVE MANY, MANY MORE DIVERSIONARY TACTICS THAT WILL PERFECTLY SIDELINE OUR PENDING CONVERSATION INDEFINITELY!”

     You laughed a little harder at that. “Oh? Like what?”

     “WELL, WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE OUR WAY OVER TO THE COUCH,” he said, gesturing toward the den. Grinning, you both slowly made your way over to the den, each taking a seat on said couch as you set your mugs down on the coffee table.

     “Well, now what?” You laughed as he was still beaming, clearly not done with his “diversionary tactics.”

     “NOW WE WAIT FOR OUR TEA TO COOL OFF. THEN DRINK THE TEA WHILE IT IS STILL THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE.”

     “Ha ha, Paps, that will probably only take up like five minutes tops!”

     “OH, BUT THERE IS MORE! WHILE WE DRINK OUR TEA, I WILL ‘ABSENTLY’ TURN ON THE TELEVISION AND BEHOLD! SOMETHING INTERESTING WILL BE THERE THAT WILL REQUIRE OUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT… UM, SEVERAL HOURS UNTIL SANS GETS HERE!” He started looking around the table and under the couch pillows, searching for the remote.

     “Pfft, this is your entire plan then?”

     He continued, giving up on the remote but refusing to be derailed. “AND THEN, WOWIE! WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT SUCH THINGS IN FRONT OF SANS! AND THEN… AND THEN…” He faltered, not quite meeting your eyes. “Then, We Can Just Go Back To The Way Things Were. This Past Week. Before I Said Anything To Change Things. To When We Were Close And Could Talk About Anything And Everything. When We Could Hang Out Together And Not Just On Saturdays And I Could Drive You Around In My Fancy Car. When You Would Call Me Brave And Cool And I Would Admire Your Quirky Ways And Kindness And The Funny Faces You Make When You Are Thinking About Things And The Looks You Sometimes Give Me That Really Do Make Me Feel Like I Am As Great As I Always Say I Am. When We Could Just Laugh And Cook And Do Puzzles Without Having To Worry About Eventualities…” He was still smiling but you could see tears forming in his eye sockets. “When We Could Just Hug And Hold Hands And You Would Let Me Touch Your Face And Hold You And That Would Be Enough. And I would be enough for you...” Tears started to fall from his sockets sliding down his cheek bones as he hastily wiped at them. You reached up and cupped his face, making eye contact.

     “Is that what you think?” You breathed in shock, rubbing a stray tear away with your thumb. “That you’re not enough for me? Why… Where is this even coming from?” He closed his eye sockets and took a breath, reaching up with gloved hands to gently remove your hands from his face.

     “I have been doing research,” he said softly, staring down at your hands. “Humans have needs. Humans are very much physical, made of physical matter. Monsters are more magic based with less physical matter. Skeleton monsters have even less physical matter. I am not… I cannot… I cannot ever…”

     “Stop it,” you told him, cutting him off. You couldn’t hear this. “Stop saying that kind of stuff right now! You… You are enough.” He shook his head, but you continued. No matter what happened from here, even if he ultimately rejected you, you could not let him feel inadequate. “You are incredibly amazing and cool and brave and kind… And all of that! Do you have any idea how important you are to me? How much I care about you?” He continued staring at your hands, tears falling from his sockets. You continued, “Well, I’ll tell you. It’s a lot! More so than just friends, though I’m sure Undyne told you that part.” He nodded, finally looking you in the eyes again. He looked so exhausted and sad. Ah, you were starting to tear up too. “Though apparently you’re still not getting the part where I don’t have these needs that you think I do! All of the things we do together? The hangouts? The talking? The laughter? The holding? They are more than enough! Better than enough! You are better than enough and don’t you dare ever suggest otherwise again!”

     You both stared at each other sniffling and crying like the goobers you were until you reached out again, sitting up and pulling his head down to rest on your shoulder. You slipped your other arm around his back, pulling him to you. He slumped down against you, wrapping you in his arms as well. And there you both sat, him holding you tightly and you rubbing circles along the ribs of his back. And eventually you both stopped crying. It was still quiet enough to hear the clock tick and someone closed their door down the hall. You could hear Papyrus’ even breathing against your shoulder, no longer hiccups like it was. He was slumping against you further as he started to doze off. You scooted over so he could stretch out a little and lay his head on your lap. He kept one arm hooked around your waist. You continued to rub his back, running your fingers along boney ridges through his shirt. He was so tired. But everything would be ok. And here you had initially planned on warding him off from dating you. Out of fear. Fear of inadequacy. Fear of losing him. It seemed you all had been on the same page all along and just didn’t know it. And Paps had been the one to finally voice his feelings first. He really was one brave, cool dude. Everything was now fine. You started to laugh a little, remembering something funny.

     “What?” He said groggily as he squinted up at you, probably awoken from being jostled by your laughing.

     “Ha ha, sorry. But your shitty pick-up line. Seems like it worked after all, huh?”

     “Language…” He grumbled as he buried his face into your side, hugging you tighter. But you could see the small smile on his face as he dozed off again.


	14. Saturday, 10/19/20XX:  sans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank you all again for all the kudos and comments. You all are wonderful people! Hope you continue to enjoy this story. Happy Tuesday!

Saturday, 10/19/20XX

     You opened your eyes and it was dark. You were a little disoriented about where you were but you were not afraid or uncomfortable. Well, your right arm was asleep and there was something hard under your neck. An arm bone. In fact, your face was pressed against shirt and ribs and you could feel and hear a steady breathing. The light scent of that crummy MTT brand cologne that Paps sometimes wore tickled your nostrils. Heh, the scent had been starting to grow on you though. You also were aware of a familiar low hum you had heard before. Magic instead of a heartbeat. Oh. Oh! The events of earlier that evening slowly filtered through your groggy brain. Ah. Papyrus had fallen asleep on you. And then apparently you had fallen asleep too and were now tangled up with the aforementioned skeleton on the couch. Hm, this wasn’t so bad though. You’d worry about being embarrassed later. Should you even be embarrassed now?

     You yawned and shifted a little, trying to free your right arm from under the sleepy skeleton. He grumbled in his sleep and tightened his hold on you briefly before taking a deep breath and patting along your back and head. Then he sort of froze, even holding his breath as things probably dawned on him too as he woke up more.

     “Um… M-Morning? Evening?” You offered.

     He took a breath. “H-HELLO,” he said back.

     “Uh… Seems… Seems we both kind of fell asleep, huh?”

     “SEEMS SO.”

     “Snuggling.”

     “THAT APPEARS TO BE THE CASE.”

     “Ah… B-but that’s ok, r-right?”

     “YES.”

     “Ok then.”

     “OK.”

     He started to shake and you were briefly worried until he cracked up laughing. You started laughing too, caught up in how ridiculous you both were. And happy.

     You both sat up and you hissed a little through your teeth, as the pins and needles sensation started in your right hand and arm.

     “WHAT IS WRONG?” Papyrus instantly went from laughter to concern, reaching out and bumping your right arm with his hand in the dark.

     “AH! No no no, don’t touch it! Ow. Haha, I’m fine. I’m fine. My arm just fell asleep.”

     “ASLEEP? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND! YOUR BODY WAKES UP IN STAGES? IS IT PAINFUL? WHAT CAN I DO?”

     You were laughing again and grimacing as you flexed your hand, willing the sensation to return.

     “No, it’s fine. Ah, it’s getting better. Haha, I guess you wouldn’t have that problem without blood and nerves and all.”

     He was quiet beside you, clearly afraid to touch you should he hurt you again and at a loss of what to do. Ah, this would probably be one of the first of many hurdles you all would have to cross in understanding the differences you two had.

     “Ok, so I’m not that good with biology but I’ll explain it the best I can. You know how humans have nerves that are like these long wires that connect up to the brain and let us physically feel stuff?”

     “…I DO NOW.”

     “Ok. So sometimes the signal to the brain can be sort of cut off if we lay on a limb funny and that limb can go numb. When we finally get up and let pressure off the nerves, it feels really weird and while not exactly painful it’s not exactly pleasant. It only lasts for a few minutes and then the limb returns to normal. Humans call that ‘my arm fell asleep’ or ‘my leg fell asleep.’ Does that make sense?”

     “SORT OF. THOUGH THAT DOES SOUND KIND OF WEIRD. OH! NO OFFENSE!”

     “Pfft, says the walking skeleton who breathes even though he doesn’t have lungs and eats without a stomach.”

     “I AM MADE OF MOSTLY MAGIC. I AM ALSO NO EXPERT, BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, MAGIC NEEDS AIR TO SORT OF STAY VIABLE AND FUEL TO KEEP GOING. KIND OF LIKE A FIRE NEEDS AIR AND SOMETHING TO BURN TO STAY LIT.”

     “Ah. I g-guess that makes sense.”

     “…WE BOTH HAVE A LOT TO LEARN, HUH?”

     “Seems so…”

     There was a pause again, as you both sat side by side in the dark.

     “DO YOU REGRET…”

     “No.”

     “ME NEITHER.”

     You scooted closer to Papyrus and wrapped your arms around him as he did the same to you. You rested your ear on his ribs, listening again to the hum of his magic. This was nice. You started to ponder you and Paps’ change in relationship and how/why it came about. What had even prompted him to do research? It still bothered you that he had doubted himself in the first place. Especially when it came to you. Though… Weren’t you sort of guilty of the same sort of self doubt thing? Meh, that didn’t matter. You were a couple now, right? Most definitely. Right? Well… Neither one of you had outright said it. What if relationships worked differently with monsters? Though Alphys and Undyne’s relationship seemed to work similarly to the way humans did things. You really needed to read that book Alphys loaned you. Arg, you and Papyrus should really just talk more about things. Not communicating had caused all the misunderstandings in the first place. But how to start?

     You swallowed, “S-so, um… W-what are you thinking about?” Ugh, was that the best you could come up with? Super smooth. Way to go you.

     Papyrus pulled away a little, sounding concerned. “NOTHING IN PARTICULAR… BUT YOU SOUND AND FEEL… TENSE ALL OF A SUDDEN. WAS IT SOMETHING I DID? TOO MUCH HUGGING? I COULD GIVE YOU SOME SPACE!”

     He started to scoot away but you held on saying, “No no no! No! Ah… Unless I’m smothering you too much! M-maybe you need the space and are trying to be polite?”

     You started to loosen your grip but he tightened his, heaving out a sigh. “NO. OK. SO THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL SPACE ISSUE. SO I AM GUESSING, YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?”

     “Hah, a-actually. Yeah. I was just thinking about what happened to make… You um…”

     “CONFESS MY FEELINGS TO YOU?”

     “Ah, yeah that. Not that I’m upset by it! I’m actually very happy we’re dating now! Ah! W-we are dating, r-right?”

     “I WAS… KIND OF HOPING SO.”

     “Cool.”

     “COOL.”

     You both sat holding each other for a while, then you started talking again.

     “So… Um… What actually did happen then? To make you decide to take Undyne’s advice? And then to make you so… Um… D-doubtful?”

     “M-MAYBE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WAS NOT DOUBTFUL AT ALL. MAYBE IT WAS ALL AN ELABORATE SCHEME TO… UM, WOO YOU?”

     “…Really?” You said flatly.

     “NYEH.. HEH… OR MAYBE NOT. CAN WE NOT TALK ABOUT STUFF THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED AT WORK?”

     “Ok. Except I never mentioned work…” Hm. Now you were getting somewhere. You had a feeling something happened at work that was really bothering him.

     “OH. WELL, NOTHING HAPPENED AT WORK YESTERDAY. NOTHING AT ALL.”

     “If you say so.”

     “I DO SAY SO.”

     “Ok. I won’t force you to talk about things you don’t want to talk about.”

     “YOU WOULD NOT BE FORCING ME TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING BECAUSE NOTHING HAPPENED AND I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING AND NO ONE SAID ANYTHING TO MAKE ME QUESTION ANYTHING.”

     “Alright.” Yup. Sounded like he wanted to talk about it after all. Any second he would blurt out what was bothering him…

     “I MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT COME ACROSS INEBRIATED STUDENTS WHO WERE… DOING THINGS INAPPROPRIATE FOR AN OUTDOOR PUBLIC SETTING. AND THEY MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT DERIDE ME FOR POLITELY ASKING THEM TO MOVE THEIR… ACTIVITIES TO A MORE PRIVATE SETTING. THEY… They Were Pretty Inebriated. And Inebriated People Sometimes Say Mean Things. I Do Not Know Why I Let Their Words Bother Me…”

     He paused and you didn’t say anything, waiting to see if he would continue. You continued to hold each other while he collected his thoughts. You were reminded of when you two had had a similar situation while snuggling in the dark just… Was it really only a week ago? Hm. Seemed like a lot had happened in the last week.

     He continued, “They Said… Not So Nice Things About Me And Their Perceived Notions Of My Abilities To Have A Non-Platonic Relationship… I Did My Best To Just Ignore Them, But They Knew They Were Getting To Me… Eventually They Did Disperse To Elsewhere Like I Had Asked Them To.”

     “Well, obviously they’re wrong. You’re awesome! You’re definitely the coolest guy I know! And aren’t you always saying how you won’t let mere words hurt you?”

     “O-Of Course I Know These Things! It Is Just… NO, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU ARE RIGHT HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT DWELL ON ON THE WORDS OF PEOPLE SPOKEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BOOZE!”

     You hummed in agreement.

     “Though, On The Bright Side, In The Long Run, We Ended Up Like This,” He continued, giving you a squeeze as you smiled and squeezed him back. “Things Have A Way Of Working Themselves Out To The Best Possible Outcome If You Stay Positive.”

You smiled again and snuggled against him as he nuzzled his face against the top of your head. There was the happy, optimistic skeleton you knew. Stupid drunk college kids for making him sad in the first place. Stupid you for not immediately telling him how you felt when you realized it… You know what, no. You were going to work on being more positive about yourself too. From now on, you were going to follow Papyrus’ lead and be more positive in general! Hm, he really was great. You were starting to be lulled back to sleep by happy thoughts and the hum of magic when you remembered you still had no idea what time it was.

     “What time is it?” You asked in the middle of a yawn.

     Papyrus chuckled as he released you with one arm so he could pull his phone out of his pocket. You squinted a little when the light from his screen lit up the room.

     “ALMOST THREE IN THE MORNING.” He announced. “I WONDER WHERE SANS IS. HE HAS NOT COME HOME YET… OH! I HAVE A TEXT FROM HIM FROM EARLIER! HM, HE WILL BE HOME LATE AGAIN. HE HAS BEEN STAYING OUT LATE A LOT LATELY.”

     Hm. Maybe that was a good thing? Sure beat moping around the apartment all the time like he usually did. Your stomach growled loudly out of nowhere. Ah, you guessed it had been a while since you last ate anything. Had you really eaten anything since that apple this morning? Your mind had been occupied by other things.

     Papyrus chuckled again. “I AT LEAST UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS WHEN YOUR STOMACH MAKES THAT SOUND. COME, HUMAN! WE CAN QUICKLY MAKE UP SOME SPAGHETTI AND HAVE A LATE DINNER. OR WOULD IT BE EARLY BREAKFAST? NO MATTER! TO THE KITCHEN!” He disentangled himself and stood, reaching down to haul you to your feet too. Hah, you all might as well eat. You probably would not be getting back to sleep for the rest of the day anyway at this point.  
  
     As you all cooked, you heard the front door open and Sans entered the kitchen. He looked like… Well, death. He was wearing his usual outfit but it was all wrinkled and his eye sockets actually looked more sunken, the lights in them more dim. He was slumping more and moving slower than usual too, even for him.

     “Good morning …?” You said/asked, giving him a concerned look. He merely grunted and grabbed a bottle of ketchup out of the fridge. Papyrus turned and looked like he was about to tear into his brother for coming home so late, but hesitated when he saw the state he was in. Sans just put on his typical lazy grin and shuffled out of the kitchen. You heard the tv turn on in the other room.

     You and Papyrus exchanged worried looks. You whispered, “Is he ok?”

     Papyrus turned the heat on marinara sauce down and walked out of the kitchen. The water for the noodles had just been put on the stove and would take a while to start boiling so you followed. Sans looked up from his channel surfing as you two walked over to him. Looked like he had found the remote.

     “heh, what’s with those looks? you all look like you’re thinking of initiating an intervention or something.”

     “A-are you ok? You look… Not so good. W-what’s going on?” You asked as you took a seat beside him. You figured maybe towering over him while he sat wouldn’t make him really want to talk. Papyrus had other ideas as he stood right in front of Sans, blocking the view of the tv.

     “well that’s rude, buddy,” he said as his eye lights trained on you. “i mean, i know i’m not as handsome as my brother. but saying i look not so good? kinda harsh.” You blushed and stammered as Sans grinned at you.

     “SANS!!! YOU KNOW WHAT SHE MEANT! WE ARE BOTH WORRIED ABOUT YOU! YOU LOOK EVEN MORE TIRED AND DISHEVELED THAN USUAL! WHY?”

     “dunno. maybe i should think about re-tiring?” You and Papyrus simultaneously groaned at his pun, which earned a laugh from Sans. “heh, ok. how about i just need to ketchup on my sleep?” He said as he raised his ketchup bottle to his mouth and took a sip.

     “SANS!!! THAT ONE IS GETTING OLD. STOP. DEFLECTING. THE QUESTIONS!”

     “tough crowd. who knows? must be the c-old weather.” Neither you nor Papyrus laughed, and Sans sighed as he set his bottle down on the table again. He then raised an eyebrow bone at his brother. “speaking of, any reason why you and your lady friend are chillin’ so late together?” Now it was Papyrus’ turn to blush and falter.

     “welp,” Sans said as he abandoned the tv remote and snatched his bottle of ketchup off the table again, “looks like the weather affected us f’all in one way or another. heh. though right now? i’m a little concerned whether pasta sauce is flammable. because i’m a-fraid-o it’s burning.” Papyrus yelped and tore off towards the kitchen. Sans chuckled and looked over at you. “shouldn’t you be, i dunno. helping?”

     You hesitated, rubbing your right hand as you looked down. “I can tell y-you don’t want to talk about it now. But if… If you ever want to talk about w-what’s bothering you… I just want you to know… I’ll listen. We all go through b-bad times sometimes. But you have people who care about you. I know I’ve t-told you this before, but you really do deserve to be happy too. Whatever is going on with you, if you ever need help, please just s-say something.” You looked up in time to see a troubled expression briefly ghost across his face, before it was replaced by his usual fake smile.

     “ok,” he said and then took another swig of his ketchup.

     “I mean it,” you said as got up to head toward the exaggerated distressed sounds coming from the kitchen.

     “ok,” he said again, picking up the remote and turning the volume way up on the tv. His eyes were now trained on whatever was playing.   
  
     Sigh. Stubbornness must run in their family. You entered the slightly hazy kitchen to find Papyrus fanning away smoke and “NYOO HOO HOOing” over the burnt remains of his sauce. You turned off the heat under the boiling water, figuring spaghetti was a bust. There were always sandwiches.

     “I Do Not Know If I Can Fix This,” he sniffled.

     “It’s ok.” You said, staring into the charred pot with him while patting his back.

     “All Because I Wasn’t Paying Attention. Now Look What It Has Become. A Mess.” He stood staring sadly into the burnt pot.

     “Not your fault,” you assured him. “The sauce… It can sometimes be good at… Ah… Hiding the fact th-that something’s wrong. Next time… Maybe we should just be a little more patient. This… This can be fixed. We just need to give it some time.” He looked down at you and you offered him a hopeful smile.

     “…We Are Not Really Talking About The Sauce… Are We?”

     You shook your head. No. No you weren’t.


	15. Sunday 10/20/20XX: Arbitrary Colloquy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Falls to the ground performing dogeza* I am so so sorry this is late!!! ^.^;; I was stuck at work all day. It's been a hell of a week. Haha, hope your week went better! Yay for weekends!

Sunday 10/20/20XX

     Today was looking to be a boring day. You were trying to give the skeleton brothers space as you hoped Papyrus would be able to get his brother to talk about what was bothering him. Paps had texted you a few times and you could tell he was worried about Sans. He assured you that everything would be okay and apologized, but he would be spending the day cheering up his brother and therefore, could not hang out with you today. You told him you understood and that you had school work to catch up on anyway. Well, you had actually caught up on most of it Saturday after Papyrus had driven you home in the wee hours of the morning, at your insistence. He had been torn between wanting to spend time with you and wanting to hang out with his brother. You would never force him to make that kind of choice so you had insisted that you wanted to go home. Sigh. You did miss him though. Ping. You glanced down at your phone, thinking Paprus was texting you again. But the text was from Undyne; a group message including Alphys.

Undyne: Soooo… what’s neeew? >^-^<

You: I take it Paps talked to you all?

     You weren’t surprised. He probably still went jogging with Undyne while his brother slept. You wondered if he talked to her about Sans but decided you wouldn’t bring it up just in case.

Undyne: Duh! He tells everyone everything! But, you aren’t still mad at me or any of that junk, are you?

You: Ah! NO! I’m sorry! Oh my god, I haven’t spoken with you since Friday! I’m so sorry! I’m not mad. God, I’m a terrible friend!

Undyne: Hahaha, stop always apologizing so much! Jeez. I’m happy you’re not mad tho. And if you berate yourself one more time, I’m going to punch you in the face next time I see ya!!!

Alphys: Lol, I think Papyrus might have something to say about that. ;) Did you find the book?

You: …Are you two sitting side by side texting? And yes! Thank you so much Alphys! That was really awesome of you! I will definitely read it and return it!

Undyne: Do you really think we sit in the same room and text each other? I’m actually at the gym today. Had to set up some stuff for tomorrow.

Alphys: Except we have done that before. And you’re welcome about the book. The book is yours. It was a gift, not a loan!

Undyne: Eh, I guess we have. Mostly to share memes though! Anyway, as I was saying, WHAT’S NEW?? O_o

You: Seems like you already know anyway. Seeing as how you sort of accidentally initiated the whole thing. Ha ha.

Alphys: =)))) Yay!!! We’re so happy for you!!!

Undyne: IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! HAHAHA. I owed him one anyway! You know that dweeb MADE me write a confession letter to Alphys back in the day? Said he’d call her and ask her questions in a ‘hot voice’ and audibly wink at her over the phone if I didn’t. This is the kind of dork you are dating now, just so you’re aware!

You: Hah, I think he told me that story. Didn’t that backfire though?

Alphys: Lol, he told you about that? *blush* That was the same incident I told you about that ended up with me in a trash can. I guess we both really know how to pick them, huh? ;P

Undyne: Hey!!! What the hell is that supposed to mean???

Alphys: Nothing, sweetie. I love you! ; *

Undyne: …..

Undyne: Anyway, that reminds me. We HAVE to introduce you to the rest of the crew! Frisk, Toriel, Asgore, they would LOVE you! Too bad they live so far away.

     You had heard mention of all of their extended family a few times. It was still hard to imagine that your friends were all literally at the center of things when the barrier fell. That they were close friends with the former king and queen of all monsters. And the ambassador.

Alphys: And Mettaton. Well, if he ever catches a break from his busy Hollywood lifestyle. Ehehe.

Undyne: Ungrateful pile of scrap metal.

Alphys: Be nice. Anyway, the fall holidays are coming up.

Undyne: Yeah, you should totally come with us when we go visit them!!!

You: I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family gathering. I know how close you all are. But that was super nice of you to offer!

Alphys: You wouldn’t be intruding at all! We’d love to have you come with us!

Undyne: I KNOW Paps would want you to go. Besides, I get the impression you probably don’t have other plans?

You paused in your texting. Ah, right. You had forgotten you had sort of told them you had no family…

Undyne: Ah shit, that was insensitive. I’m sorry!

You: No, no don’t be! Ahaha, I should get going anyway. You guys have a good day! ^-^

Alphys: You too!

Undyne: Yeah, see ya punk.

     Not really feeling like texting about your own personal stuff, you set your phone down and side glanced over at your roommate. Seemed she was stuck in the dorm today too and was equally bored. Odd, she usually hung out with her boyfriend on the weekends. She was leaning back in her chair and staring at the ceiling. She kept letting out dramatic sighs and glancing over at you sitting at your desk. You were getting the impression she wanted you to ask her what was wrong. Ah, may as well.

     “S-so no Ernie today?” You asked, and she sat up, turning her chair around, all of a sudden looking happy you had taken her cue.

     “No! Ug, so like I don’t know if you know this, but his dad is the owner of this huge investment firm. His family is super rich! Which is a major perk for me, except when his dad has these business gathering things he makes his sons attend! And like, Ernie doesn’t even get along with his dad or older brother but he has to go anyway! And I can’t go because he hasn’t told his dad he has a girlfriend yet. Ugh, he has all these responsibilities or something and his dad expects him to take over the family business with his brother someday. Which means some weekends I get to be bored at the dorm. With you.”

     “Oh. I... I see,” you said, hoping she was done talking so you could go play on your computer. She wasn’t done talking though.

     “Yeah, lifestyles of dating the rich and powerful, you know? Oh… Right. I guess you wouldn’t. Anyway, since you seem so like interested, Ernie’s dad actually started the frat way back in the day. The one I go to on the weekends. It’s where I met Ernie. Ernie’s actually the president of the frat and stuff! It’s like, the most popular frat on campus! Everyone wants to be a part of the frat since Ernie’s family company tends to hire people who graduate from this school and are a part of the frat. Isn’t that awesome?”

     “S-sure,” you said trying not to look bored by the discussion. Ah, you knew it was probably mean of you, but you just didn’t like her boyfriend and didn’t care to hear about him. Or his frat.

     “Plus,” she continued, not catching your bored expression, “They throw the most aaamazing parties! Only the best ever! You should totally come with next time we go! Maybe I could like, hook you up with one of Ernie’s friends? Well… Maybe we could at least find someone for you.”

     “Ah… T-that’s ok. I… I’m n-not really the partying type.”

     “Oh please, that’s just ‘cause you don’t know better and stuff. How many parties have you been to since starting school? Like zero, amirite? Yeah, I’m totally right. Besides, you’re not going to find someone if you never go out.”

     You bristled a little at that. “Who says I need to find someone anyway? N-not everyone bases their self-worth on whether they have a b-boyfriend or not.”

     Becky got a confused look on her face and tilted her head to the side as she looked at you. “I don’t get it. Why would you even say that? Of course you need to find someone unless… Do you already have someone? OMG! Did you manage to find a boyfriend?!” She suddenly lunged forward, grasping your hands with glee. Ack! Your personal space! But it would be rude to jerk away when she looked so excited all of a sudden.

     “Y-yes… B-but that’s besides the point.” She was no longer listening. You’d completely lost her.

     She squealed with delight and shook your combined hands as you grimaced. “OMG! That is amazing! I guess it’s true what they say that there really is someone out there for everyone! I’m so happy for you! What’s he like? I want to know all about him! Is he a weirdo like you?”

     “A-actually you’ve m-met him a few times. You r-remember Papyrus, right?”

     And there it was. Becky dropped your hands with a shocked look of confusion and possibly disgust. As soon as your hands were free of hers, you rubbed your right hand. So be it. You would NEVER be ashamed or try to hide your relationship. But you were a realist. Alphys and Undyne had warned you about this sort of thing too. You knew that a lot of people would likely not understand or accept your relationship with Papyrus. And it wasn’t like you put a lot of forethought into the relationship to begin with. It just sort of happened. And it was Papyrus. And you would never regret it.

     “W… T… F…” Becky breathed at you, her voice squeaking as she continued. “Like, the skeleton? You decided to like sleep with the skeleton after all? How does that even work?!”

     “Ah! Actually… W-we don’t do that kind of stuff! I mean… W-we did f-fall asleep together but… B-but not… Not…”

     “Sex?” She supplied.

     “Y-yeah. That. W-we don’t do that.”  
  
     God, how many times would you have to explain this to people?

     She stared at you, her disgust replaced with confusion. “But you said he was your boyfriend now. I’m confused.”

     “He is.”

     She stared at you some more, tilting her head to the side. “Okaay… So like you’re dating but you don’t have sex. I don’t get it. What’s the point of dating then?”

     “J-just because you don’t h-have sex doesn’t mean you can’t have r-romantic feelings for someone! A-and be attracted to them and w-want to be with them. Paps… he is amazing. He’s the sweetest, kindest person I know. And selfless… Haha, he really should be a little less so actually. He’s funny and brave and he makes everyone around him happy. And he’s good to his brother and friends. Plus he makes a mean pasta. How.. How could I not be attracted to him?”

     She stared at your face in confusion for a long while, her head still tilted to the side. “You’re serious about this. This isn’t just some weird SJW thing with you, is it?”

     “I… I don’t even know what th-that means. But yes, I am serious.”

     She continued to stare, her brows furrowed as she thought about who knows what. She finally spoke up again, “But, monsters are dangerous and bad news. They’re more like animals than humans. Ernie told me so. I know you hang out with them all the time and all, but this is different. Are you sure you really want to be with one of them instead of your own kind?”

     You stared back at her, saying evenly, “Ernie is wrong and racist. Monsters are people, just like humans. They are just a different species than human. But we all have a lot more in common than we do differences. I know you don’t understand. I hope for your sake, maybe someday you will. And it’s not about wanting to be with a monster versus a human for me. The person I want to be with just happens to be a monster.”

     She gave you a skeptical look. “I dunno, girl. I’m always seeing you walking around with monsters and never any humans. I’m like, starting to think you hate other humans.”

     “W-what? Why would… Th-that’s not true!”

     She giggled at you, snatching up your hands again before you could pull them away. “Hah! I knew you would say that! Prove it then! Come with meeee to a frat party! You could even like, bring your monster boyfriend I guess. Oh! You totally could! There’s a few monsters that hang around the frat even! One of them is pledging! Surprised, aren’t you? Seee? Ernie’s not so prejudiced after all, is he? Come with me sometime! Pleeeease!”

     Honestly, you were a little surprised by that given Ernie’s clearly expressed views on monsterkind to you. Though you still didn’t want to go. But she was pleading with you and waiting for a response and making a ridiculous duck face at you. Ah, and she was still gripping your hands. “O-ok. M-maybe someday,” you said.

     She giggled happily again and released your hands, clapping hers together. “Yaaaay! You’ll have sooo much fun! You’ll see!” She turned back to her desk, taking out her phone and texting away.

     You turned back to your own computer, surfing over to one of your favorite manga sites. Ah well. Maybe you’d luck out and she would forget she ever invited you? What she said did bother you a little though. All your friends were monsters. Were you prejudiced against your own species? No way. You just happened not to have any close human friends. You didn’t dislike your roommate. You liked the quirky girl across the hall. But were they friends?


	16. Saturday, 10/26/20XX:  Dating Begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hands readers lint rollers* Ahaha, you all might need these. For all the fluff... -_-

Monday 10/21/20XX - Friday 10/25/20XX

     The rest of the week was sort of a blur. After classes most days, you went to hang out with Sans at the bookstore. He didn’t say much and mostly just slept when there weren’t students coming in to buy stuff. You just sat behind the desk with him, in case he ever felt like talking. And if not, you wanted to be there anyway. Sometimes when you had gotten anxious or sad, it had helped you to have supportive friends around.

     You managed to read some of the book Alphys had loaned you. You learned that indeed, while humans were made up of mostly solid matter and water, the monsters were mostly made of magic with very little physical matter. Magic held a monster’s physical matter together. A monster’s magic could be depleted if they were injured or used too much of it at once. Though apparently, they would sort of pass out before they could do themselves severe damage by using too much magic. If a monster were to become too severely injured however, the magic could be depleted to the point where it could no longer hold them together. They would turn to dust. As Papyrus said, like a fire, food sort of fueled their magic. That’s why they could heal wounds by eating. Magic and emotion were very closely linked.

     Because a human SOUL was stronger and had something called determination, a human’s SOUL could even persist for a while after death. They believed that a human’s SOUL was so strong that negative intentions by a human could affect a monster negatively by making the monster weaker to attacks. That was a scary thought. You were starting to understand why they insisted humans were so strong even though monsters had magic. It made sense that emotions and intentions could affect someone physically. Hell, you had seen how your own emotions affected you physically, especially the negative ones. Magic and emotion were very closely linked.  Monsters, being made up of mostly magic, would strongly be both physically and emotionally affected by intentions and feelings. That thought worried you for your friends.

     By the end of the week, Sans seemed to be putting on a show of being back to his usual punny self. He apologized for being such a downer (though you insisted he never had to apologize for that sort of thing). He also maybe vaguely threatened to kill you if you ever hurt his brother and then immediately laughed it off as a joke. You had the feeling he wasn’t entirely joking though. He followed up by asking/begging that you please come entertain his brother because Sans was tired of Papyrus mother henning him and moping around the apartment.

********************************************************************

Saturday 10/26/20XX  
  
     You were looking forward to hanging out with Papyrus again. You missed him. You had seen him briefly a few times during the week when he came to pick up Alphys and Undyne.  You knew though, he needed to be there for his brother. Well, today Sans had apparently told both you and Papyrus that all he wanted was some peace and quiet.  He had asked that you all maybe go out so he could have the apartment to himself. You completely understood the need to be alone sometimes but were also suspicious that he was yet again just trying to ensure Papyrus’ happiness. Papyrus and you both decided you would at least spend part of the day at the apartment just in case. You hummed a happy tune as you got ready to hang out with your boyfriend. Haha, boyfriend. You were still giddy over that. You decided you’d dress up a little today. Nothing too fancy, but a little fancier than normal.

     Becky was out again, likely hanging out with her boyfriend. You were happy you had had the dorm to yourself. Not that you disliked your roommate or anything. She meant well… Probably. You still couldn’t really bring yourself to forgive Ernie though. Ug, but you would try to tolerate him. For your roommate’s sake.

     You heard a knocking at your door. Hah, Papyrus was early. You figured he would be. You opened the door to find him standing there and his outfit gave you pause. He had on black, thick-rimmed glasses with no lenses taped to his skull on the sides. He was wearing his usual scarf but today he was wearing a plain, long sleeve white shirt with his scarf draped down the front. He was also wearing jeans and what looked like black hiking boots. Very different than his usual style. You’d be willing to bet Undyne had something to do with today’s outfit. You preferred his usual unique style but he didn’t look bad.

     “HELLO HUMAN. YOU LOOK… NICE.” He was blushing orange and had his hands behind his back.  

     “Hello skeleton. You don’t l-look so bad yourself.” You said as you smiled up at him. You saw a flash and heard a click. You both looked over to see the girl who lives across the hall standing to the side holding up a camera. She hit another button on it as you both just kind of watched her and the camera slowly printed out 2 pictures. She nodded and handed them to you and walked back into her room, shutting the door. Papyrus looked at you confused and you shrugged.

     “Ah… My neighbor. She’s a bit eccentric… But she’s nice.” You looked at the picture. It actually turned out really cute! It showed Papyrus standing there smiling down at you while you smiled up at him.  He was holding some wilty looking flowers behind his back. Oh! You looked up as he held out to you what looked like an arrangement of orange lilies and daisies. They sort of matched his face at the moment.

     “I… I WAS GOING TO BRING YOU FANCY PASTA BUT ALPHYS AND UNDYNE INSISTED THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE FLOWERS BETTER AND I WANTED TO BRING YOU SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF FLOWERS YOU LIKE AND THE NICE PEOPLE AT THE FLOWER SHOP SAID THAT THIS KIND WAS POPULAR THIS MONTH BUT I THINK THE COLD MADE THEM DROOPY OR MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE PUT THEM IN WATER BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE THEM.”  

     “I do like them! Thank you!” You said as you blushed and took them. He seemed relieved. You carried them over to your desk along with the pictures, putting one of the pictures in your desk drawer (you had gotten a lock for your desk drawer recently to keep evil roommate boyfriends away from your book). You got a water bottle out of the mini-fridge to use as a makeshift vase. Oh man, but you had nothing for him!  “Ah, I… I didn’t realize we were s-supposed to exchange gifts. This is sort of a cop out b-but here! You can have one of the pictures!” You would really have to thank your neighbor later. Yet again. Even with her odd stalker-like ways…

     “NO, YOU DO NOT NEED TO GIVE ME ANYTHING! I WAS THE ONE WHO INITIATED THE DATING RELATIONSHIP SO I SHOULD BE THE ONE GIVING THE GIFTS TO RAISE MY DATING POWER! BUT… I DO REALLY WANT ONE OF THOSE PICTURES. THANK YOU.” He smiled down at the picture and carefully tucked it into his jeans pocket.

     You decided not to ask about the dating power, figuring maybe it was a monster thing. Though it may just be a Papyrus thing too. Sometimes it was hard to tell what he was thinking. But that just made him even more interesting! You both walked hand in hand to his car. The walking and holding hands thing… That was new. You liked it. The weather was starting to get more and more cold out as fall was approaching winter. You were glad you brought your coat.

     Soon you both arrived at the apartment and you both took a seat on the couch, him draping his arm over you as you both tried to decide what to do for the day. Even though you both seemed a little nervous around each other for whatever reason, you noticed Papyrus was becoming more and more touchy-feely. Not that you minded. Cooking was out today as Sans had said when he woke up, he wanted the apartment to himself.

     “So, y-you’re actually probably better at this whole dating thing than me. Haha, I don’t really have any good date ideas…”

     “DATE IDEAS? AS IN FIRST DATE? HAVE WE ADVANCED ENOUGH TO GET TO THAT POINT YET?”

     Advanced enough? “I… Um… I think so? You tell me. Hah, you’re the ‘dating expert’ after all. How should we go about this?”

     “I MAY HAVE… EXAGGERATED BEFORE WHEN I SAID I WAS A ‘DATING EXPERT,’” he said guiltily, small beads of sweat forming along his skull.

     Aw, he was just too cute! And you were a terrible person but you just couldn’t help yourself but to mess with him. Besides, he seemed to secretly like it and it always seemed to break the tension. “No way…” You gasped in mock horror, placing your free hand across your mouth and trying not to laugh. “The Great Papyrus exaggerated? I am the shock!”

     He narrowed his eye sockets down at you, pulling his arm back and scooting away so he could mock-glare down at you further. You could see he was also now fighting not to grin. “YOU ARE USING SARCASM AS A WAY TO FLIRT WITH ME! AND USING POOR GRAMMAR TO DO SO! THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND WILL NOT RAISE YOUR DATING POWER ANY FURTHER! AS THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, YOU MUST NOW HOLD YOURSELF TO HIGHER STANDARDS!”

     “Oh, is that right?” You said, poking him in the side of his ribs. He jumped and scooted further away. Hm. You got an evil grin on your face as Papyrus’ eye sockets widened.

     “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! YOU…” Before he could react, you launched yourself at him digging your fingers between his ribs through his shirt.

     “NYEEEEHHH!” He squealed, falling over while reaching to trying to pry your fingers off. “NYEH HEH HEH… NO!!! STOP!!! HEH…DESIST!!! NYEH HEH!!! WAIT… HUMAN!!! NYEH… I AM SORRY… GAAAH… YOUR STANDARDS ARE FINE!!!” He gasped and laughed while trying to wrestle your hands away from his ribs. Ha ha, he really was ticklish! Seemed he wasn’t even able to use his magic at that point to make you stop!

     Sans’ room door slammed open down the hall and you both froze like deer caught in headlights, heads turned toward a tense and glaring Sans now standing only a few feet away. You could feel the hairs on the back of your neck standing up like the room was suddenly filled with static electricity. Sans’ right eye socket was completely dark and his left eye socket had a flashing blue and yellow iris. Papyrus was lying on his back on the couch holding your wrists above him. You were kneeling on the couch between his knees and leaning over him. Sans stared at you both for a few seconds and then visibly relaxed, the dim eye lights returning to both sockets. He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face, sweating. As he did, the weird static feeling went away.

     “i don’t even want to know,” Sans grumbled. “but if you’re gonna be screaming like you’re being murdered could you, i dunno, not? not exactly what i meant by peace and quiet, kiddos. i’m trying to sleep.”

     “Sorry,” both you and Papyrus said simultaneously. Sans grunted and dragged himself slowly back to his room, shutting the door. Well, now you felt like crap. Here Sans was trying to get over his bad time and your smitten self had briefly forgotten and probably made it worse. You looked down at Papyrus still holding your wrists and he was staring down the hall in the direction of Sans’ room looking like he was feeling bad too. Ah, this wouldn’t do. You twisted your wrists around so you could grasp his hands.

     “Let’s go somewhere so your brother can sleep,” you said as you slid off the couch and pulled him to his feet. “I have an idea.”

     “WHERE ARE WE GOING?” He said as you grabbed your coat.

     “It’s a surprise. And would probably make for an interesting ‘first date,’ I guess. But you’ll have to drive. Hah, so I guess that will kind of ruin the surprise once we start getting close. Ah, do you need a coat?”

     “NO… BUT ARE OUR DATING POWERS EVEN HIGH ENOUGH TO INITIATE A FIRST DATE YET? ARE OUR DATING CLOTHES SUFFICIENT FOR THIS DATE?”

     You paused. He was looking slightly distressed again. So he was serious about this kind of stuff. You tried to figure out what he was talking about. Dating powers? Giving gifts to raise dating powers? Date clothes? Oh. Oh, it finally dawned on you. This was probably coming from his “Dating Manual.” Hm, you were starting to wonder about this manual. It was sounding more and more like a dating sim game guide or something. But if that was all he knew…

     “What you’re wearing is fine but… Would you rather we do things in a certain order?” You were staring up into his face earnestly, studying his expressions. The last thing you wanted to do was pressure him or make him feel uncomfortable or hurt his feelings. “I was actually thinking we could go sit on the beach and look at the ocean. Ha ha, it’s supposed to be r-romantic or something. Then maybe go to Wallyworld and pick up some things for Sans to make him feel better when he wakes up? Like junk food and fancy ketchup and stuff like that? I could even read that manual of yours to figure out what we’re supposed to be doing and… Oh, ok!”

     He had closed the distance between you two and had pulled you to his chest, the last words you had said were muffled in his shirt. You hugged him too, patting his back. Yup, he was definitely more touchy-feely now. He finally pulled away, smiling down at you.

     “Why… What was that for?” You asked.

     “BECAUSE… YOU. NYEH HEH, ANYWAY, I LIKE YOUR IDEAS BETTER! I WOULD RATHER FOLLOW YOUR LEAD… IF THAT IS OKAY.”

     “Ok. Haha, though k-keep in mind I’m no expert either.”

     The beach was about a 25 minute drive from the apartments. Hah, probably would have been an even shorter drive had Papyrus not always stayed at the exact speed limit, but you would never fault him for that. Apparently Papyrus had never been to this beach before. You had to give him turn-by-turn directions. The closest public beach access to the apartments was more of a locals spot than a tourist destination. You had to walk a sort of nature trail through sand and trees and beach grass to get there. The beach itself was less than a mile wide and kind of rocky in places. Oh, and there were no real waves. The more touristy beach was about an hour further north. You had been to the rocky beach a few times in your teen years and remembered loving it because it was less crowded. Though it had been far from where you used to live. You were looking forward to sharing one of your favorite places with one of your favorite people.

     By the time you made your way down the nature trail and found a nice rock where you both could sit side by side and stare out over the ocean, it was getting to be late noon.

     “So… Um… I guess this is it. Our first date,” you declared.

     “I GUESS SO,” he said, fidgeting with his gloves.

     Hm. Why were you slightly nervous? You had been hanging out with Papyrus for a while now. And you were all ok before you came here! Papyrus seemed sort of nervous too as he stared out over the water. Yep. Here you both were. You made patterns in the sand with your shoes. There would probably be sand in them by the time you got back to the car. Ok, so this whole beach date thing sounded like a better idea in your head at the time. Though in hindsight, maybe sitting awkwardly in the sand on a chilly rock when it was so frigid out was not one of your best plans. You shivered.

     “HUMAN, ARE YOU COLD?” He asked, concerned.

     “Ah… No, I’m ok.”

     Papyrus looked at you dubiously and unwound his scarf and wrapped it around your shoulders. “N-No! Then you’ll be cold!” You protested.

     “I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED THIS TO YOU MANY TIMES. THE COLD DOES NOT AFFECT ME THE WAY IT AFFECTS YOU!” He then took off his gloves and handed them to you as well.

     You were touched by the gesture, knowing he was loaning you such important things. “Thank you,” you said as you put the gloves on. His gloves and scarf were really soft and warm. You could see why he wore them constantly.

     “YOU ARE WELCOME.”

     You looked over at him as he scooted a little closer and made a show of stretching his arms up over his head while he let out an exaggerated yawn. He then draped one of his arms over your shoulder, grinning down at you.

     “Pfft, did you really just pull that move?” You laughed.

     “I DID. PROBLEM?” He said smugly. Ha ha, guess he was getting over his nervousness. It made you feel more confident too.

     “Hm, no problem. But I do have a question… It’s kind of important…”

     “OH?”

     “I don’t really know how to ask you this…”

     “YOU CAN ASK ME ANYTHING!”

     “Ok then… If you’re sure. Um… Are you a banana?”

     “…WHAT?”

     “Because I find you a-peeling!” By some miracle, you were able to hold a serious look on your face as Papyrus just stared down at you, his grin dropping.

     “…”

     “Papyrus. Seriously. If you were a tropical fruit, you’d be a fine-apple.”

     “…THIS DATE IS OVER. GIVE ME BACK MY SCARF AND GLOVES.”

     You lost it, laughing hard as he made motions to unwind the scarf from around you. “Hahaha, Paps, don’t be so coooold!”

     He gave you a mock disgusted look and gave up on his scarf, instead scooting away and folding his arms over his chest. He was fighting very hard not to smile and laugh.

     “THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC AT ALL! YOU HAVE RUINED OUR FIRST DATE!”

     “Haha, nooo! Wait, wait, wait! I got it! You’re a boat because you’re so row-mantic!”

     “OH MY GOD, STOP! NYEH HEH HEH… NO. NOT FUNNY. NOT FUNNY AT ALL! CEASE THIS AT ONCE!”

     “Ok.”

     “SERIOUSLY I… WAIT… REALLY?”

     “Yup. I’m done. No more teasing.” You looked at him smiling sweetly, then turned to look out over the ocean again, squinting at some shapes in the distance. “Besides hey, look! I think there are some dolphins out there!”

     “OH?” He looked out to where you pointed. “OH! WOWIE, THERE ARE!”

     You both watched as little grey dolphin fins intermittently broke the surface of the water in the distance. Papyrus scooted closer again, replacing his arm around your shoulders. You rested your head on his shoulder and kind of propped your arm behind his back, resting against his spine. You were still trying to figure out how to hug him when your lower arm rested below rib level.

     “This… Is Nice. I Am Glad We Did This. The Date… And Everything.”

     You hummed in agreement. “Me too.”

     “Also, I Want To Thank You.”

     “Hm? What for?”

     “AS AMAZING AS I AM… I Know I Don’t Always Understand Things Right Away. A Lot Of The Human World Is… Still Confusing To Me Sometimes. But You Never Make Fun Of Me Beyond Your Affectionate Teasing. You Don’t Treat Me Like I Am A Child. Nyeh, Heh… I Know I Have Probably Told You Before But That… Is A Very Big Deal To Me.”

     You looked up to see him looking away shyly again, orange dusting his cheek bones. “The world can be confusing for all of us sometimes,” you assured him. “Lots of things confuse me too. And you’re not a child. Hah, you’re a sensitive, goofy skeleton man who I am quite fond of.” You smiled at him and bumped him with your shoulder.

     He chuckled and smiled down at you. “I AM QUITE FOND OF YOU ALSO.”

     You sat in silence for a few moments longer as Papyrus looked out over the ocean and you used the toe of your shoe to idly kick at a rock buried at your feet. “Since we’re sharing stuff… I… I’m not always good at communicating my feelings,” you said as he turned to look at you again. “I know that’s something I n-need to work on. With you though… I want to try. You’re always so patient and kind with my awkward self… And you don’t judge me either. I… I’m a better person with you around. Hah, I’m still trying to figure out why a cool guy like you would want to be with a spaz like me in the first place…”

     You were probably now blushing too. You didn’t notice you had started rubbing your hand until Papyrus reached out to clasp your gloved hands with his free hand. “No One Is Perfect, Except To The One Who L.. Likes Them,” he said. “Communication… Is Something We Should Both Work On. But You Should Be More Positive About Yourself! You Are An Incredible Human! All The Kind Things You Said About Me? You Have All Of Those Traits Too! Well, Besides The Skeleton Part. Though I Know You Have A Skeleton Too… Besides Me… Inside… Forget That Part! I AM TRYING TO SAY THAT YOU TOO ARE FUNNY AND KIND AND PATIENT AND ALL OF THOSE GOOD THINGS! I AM A LOT HAPPIER SINCE I HAVE MEET YOU! YOU… You Also Make Me A Better Person.”

     You both sat a few moments longer staring out over the ocean. Papyrus kept a hold of you and rubbed small circles along the top of your hand with his thumb. This was nice.

     “You know,” you said as you rested your head on his shoulder, “Besides the sun, the hottest thing on the beach is you.”

     You felt him shift as he probably turned his head to frown down at you. “…I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING. I HATE YOU.”

     “Haha, no you don’t,” you laughed as you continued to look out over the ocean.

     He sighed, failing to restrain his laughing. “HEH HEH… NYEH… NO. NO I DO NOT,” he chuckled as he rested the side of his face on top of your head.

 


	17. Wednesday, 10/30/20XX:  Round One, Fight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's another shorter chapter. It occurs to me I'm kind of on the opposite spectrum season-wise in storyverse vs our current weather. Hope it's warm where you are. Happy "Friday." ^-^

Wednesday, 10/30/20XX

     It was a beautiful fall afternoon. Birds were starting to migrate, leaves were changing. Undyne and Papyrus stood several feet apart in a clearing, each seemingly mentally preparing themselves. Then, without warning, it began. Undyne instantly summoned a glowing green spear and charged for Papyrus as he grinned and posed, his scarf billowing behind him dramatically. He kept his left hand on his hip and held his right hand out to the side as Undyne bore down on him. Seemingly at the last possible second, Papyrus’s right eye glowed orange as he summoned a bone club in his right hand and a row of bones flew up in front of him. He hopped backwards as Undyne vaulted over the bone wall, coming down and narrowly missing him with her spear.

     “Ah… C-careful…” You fretted as Alphys giggled at you. You were both huddled together on a fallen log under a blanket, watching the battle from a distance.

     “Don’t w-worry,” Alphys said to you as she laughed and didn’t take her eyes off the fight. “They do this all the time.”

     Well, this was happening. And despite your nervousness about them getting hurt, you were rather impressed by Papyrus and Undyne! They were A LOT stronger than you thought! This whole display had come about after you had asked Alphys if you could accidentally hurt your friends (or your boyfriend) by getting angry with them or by being in a bad mood. Undyne had overheard you all talking and with an “Oh hell no,” decided to prove to you once and for all just how strong she… Oh yeah, and Papyrus… Were. She would do this during her lunch break behind the gym. Today. Plus she had been itching to find an excuse to show off for a while now.

     Papyrus had managed to put some distance between himself and Undyne again. He pointed his left hand toward Undyne and rows and rows of varying sized bones materialized out of thin air, bearing down at her. She deftly hopped over, ducked under, and dodged them all. She landed in a crouched position and her eye flashed as she swung her left arm out and several spears appeared in front of her, shooting at Papyrus. His bone club glowed blue and he swiped it in an arc in front of him, dissolving the spears in mid-air.

     “It’s all about intention,” Alphys explained to you as you both watched your significant others spar. “I-if you do not intend to hurt a monster and you do not want to, you won’t. However, i-if a human does strongly intend to hurt a monster… Well… As you can see, a lot of us can d-defend ourselves pretty well.”

     “QUIT HOLDING BACK!!!” Undyne shouted as she brought her hands together and the ground glowed green under Papyrus. He leapt away just before spears pierced up through the ground. She repeated this again and again, as Papyrus easily hopped and dodged each time.

     “I AM DOING NOTHING OF THE SORT!” Papyrus huffed back, his right eye flashing orange again as he pointed his left hand to materialize and send another row of upright bones sliding at Undyne.

     “THEN USE YOUR SPECIAL ATTACK, DAMMIT!” She yelled as she gritted her teeth and easily cleared the bones. “QUIT USING THESE BABY ATTACKS!”

     “DO NOT CURSE!!! AND THEY ARE NOT BABY ATTACKS!!!” He screeched as he flicked his wrist and several smaller bones materialized and started spinning. He punched his right hand clenched around the bone club toward the spinning bones and they flew at Undyne like shurikens.

     “COMPLETE…” She punched one bone shuriken aside easily with her left fist. “UTTER…” She literally kicked another out of her way. “SHIT BABY BONES ATTACKS!” She smacked the remaining bones out of the air with one swoop of her spear. “COME ON, MAN! I KNOW YOU’VE GOT STRONGER ATTACKS THAN THIS! USE YOUR SPECIAL ATTACK!!!”

     “I… I WILL!!! YOU HAD BETTER BE READY FOR IT!” He said as she charged him again and swiped at his head with her spear. He parried the blow with his bone club as they both leapt away from each other again.

     “THEN BRING IT ALREADY!!! THE HELL YOU WAITING FOR???” Undyne shouted, dropping and dematerializing her spear, her arms outstretched.

     Papyrus gritted his teeth as he brought his hands together in front of him. What looked like an unavoidable wall of blue bones tore up through the earth in front of Papyrus. He pushed his hands forward, sending the bone wall heading straight for Undyne. She stood her ground, not moving.

     “AH! L-look out!” You called, covering your eyes. Alphys just giggled again as you peeked between your fingers, noticing the wall moved right through her. Wha?

     “Ehehe, blue attacks can’t hurt you if you stand still. K-kind of the opposite of orange attacks that hurt you if you don’t move through them,” Alphys said.

     “Oh… I-I see,” you said as you frowned. You were learning stuff.

     “REALLY?” Undyne scoffed. “THAT’S THE ATTACK YOU’RE GOING WITH? NGAHHH! FINE!” But before she could move, Papyrus did a quick sort of motion with his right hand and Undyne’s eye widened as she glowed blue and collapsed to one knee on the ground.

     “NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!” He laughed victoriously, left hand on his hip again and his right hand tapping his bone club against his boot. “WHY USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK WHEN I CAN JUST BEAT YOU WITH REGULAR ONES? WILL YOU NEVER LEARN NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE THE GREAT PAPYRUS?”

     Hm, you had seen him lift things with his “gravity magic” before. Apparently he could increase gravity too.

     “IT SEEMS THE STUDENT HAS FINALLY BECOME THE MASTER! YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU EVER USED FOUL MOUTHED LANGUAGE TO TAUNT THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOU WILL RESPECT MY SUPERIOR BATTLE SKILLS… YOU… GAAAHHH!!!” Undyne cut Papyrus off by somehow overcoming the gravity magic to launch herself at him and throw him over her head into a suplex. He hit the ground hard and you cringed. She then trapped him in a headlock and started giving a wicked looking noogie to his skull. Ouch, that looked painful.

     “SUBMIT, PUNK!” She grinned evilly as Papyrus struggled to free himself.

     “NO! OWWIE… OK, OK! HEY, UNDYNE, THAT’S CHEATING!”

     “Psh, says who?” She said as she released him, stood, and held out a hand to help him up while grinning down at him.

     He pouted and took her hand, standing. “I HAD YOU THAT TIME! AT LEAST ADMIT THAT I WAS CLOSE.”

     “Hahaha, alright loser. You got close. You might actually beat me one day if you’d just go all out!”

     “Undyne always wins,” Alphys whispered to you and smiled. “T-though as you can see, they’re both really strong. Papyrus is d-definitely stronger than he lets on… But he holds back. It infuriates Undyne. Ehehe, she thinks he’s underestimating her. I think he just d-doesn’t want to hurt anyone.”

     Papyrus continued to pout as Undyne cackled, slapping his back.

     “What’s his special attack?” You asked.

     “B-beats me,” Alphys said. “I’ve never seen it. Undyne did. H-he summoned it once during a sparring match and then apparently panicked and immediately dismissed it before the attack c-could go off. I think she was kind of h-hoping that having you here would inspire him to show off. Though it seems he held back more than usual today.”

     That… That was holding back? More than usual? Alphys pushed aside the blanket and stood, dusting off her backside. She motioned with her head for you to follow her. Reluctantly sliding out of the warm blanket, you stood, folding it up as you went. Alphys swished her tail happily as she approached her girlfriend. Undyne noticed her approaching and closed the distance to scoop her up and kiss all over her face as both girls giggled.

     Papyrus saw you approaching and looked sort of… Apprehensive. You were confused. It made you subconsciously slow down your pace and you must have been giving him a weird look because he started fidgeting with his gloves. What was going on in his head now?

     “Hello skeleton.” You said as you stopped in front of him.

     “HELLO HUMAN.” He said back, offering you a tentative grin.

     You leaned forward to rest your chin on his chest, staring up into his eye sockets. You noticed he was warmer than usual and you could actually feel the buzz of his magic through his shirt. The low hum his magic usually made was louder too. Maybe because he had just been sparring? He stared down at you, starting to relax a little.

     “Tell me what’s wrong.” You said low enough so Alphys and Undyne couldn’t hear. They seemed busy giggling and flirting a few feet away anyway. You deepened and monotoned your voice, “And don’t tell me nothing. We’re working on this communication thing.”

     Papyrus chuckled, wrapping his arms around your back and leaning down so he could press his forehead to yours. He tried to imitate your tone, “It Is A Little Difficult To Communicate Effectively At Such A Close Proximity.”

     “Try,” you said, giggling.

     “Y-you Were Not Afraid… After Seeing Our Attacks?” He asked hesitantly, sounding somewhat concerned.

     “No. I thought you looked really cool,” you told him earnestly, shifting the blanket so you could rest your arms behind his spine.

     “Nyeh Heh Heh, Of Course You Did,” he laughed.

     “Of course I did,” you echoed, smiling up at him with your forehead still pressed to his.

     “Aw, Alphy look!” You heard Undyne call. “Looks like Paps finally captured himself a human!”

     You smirked. He closed his eye sockets and sighed, gently bumping his forehead against yours before pulling away to yell at Undyne. “NOT FUNNY! YOU SHOULD NOT TEASE THE SKELETON,” He called back, sliding his hand into yours as you all made to follow them back to the car. “AT LEAST I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO ASK HIS GIRLFRIEND OUT DIRECTLY!”

     “Pssh, whatever,” Undyne grumbled as Alphys stifled a laugh. You all reached the car and Papyrus let go of your hand to rush ahead and open the doors for you all. “Oh!” Undyne exclaimed, grinning slyly at Papyrus as she leaned against the car. “I guess we can’t all be smooth skeletons with CLASSY PICK-UP LINES!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!” She cackled as Papyrus blushed and gave you a betrayed look.

     “Y-YOU TOLD HER ABOUT THAT?” He pouted at you.

     “Wha… B-but you tell her stuff all the time!” you sputtered. “S-so you’re allowed to tell everyone everything I say and I get the pouty face when I do the same thing y-you do?” You pouted back at him.

     The effect was instant. He dropped his pout and replaced it with a look of distress, “I-I DO NOT… I HAVE NOT… HAVE I?” He glanced at Alphys and Undyne who nodded at him and you folded your arms over your chest.

     “Oh,” he said, as he looked down at the ground squinting his eye sockets.

     Ah! You didn’t mean to seriously upset him! You quickly walked over, cupping his face in your hands and making him meet your eyes. “N-no! Wait! I’m sorry! P-please don’t be sad!” You pleaded with him.

     He reached up to put a hand on your face too, rubbing your cheek with his thumb. “NO, I AM THE ONE WHO IS SORRY! IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO UPSET YOU!”

     “I’m not upset. Promise,” you said as you smiled up at him and he smiled down at you. You both stared at each other with your hands still on each others faces.

     “OH MY GOD!!!” Undyne gagged, and you both immediately realized how grossly coupley you were being, and dropped your hands. “You dorks are getting worse every day! Alphys, please tell me we were never that bad!”

     Alphys blushed in the back seat of the car, laughing nervously. “Ehehe. Um…” She shrugged.

     “Ug, whatever. I’ll see you nerds later! I’ve gotta get back to teaching these little punks.” She grinned and walked over to Alphys, leaning over and cupping her face with her hands and nuzzling her nose, saying in a baby voice, “I wuv you my snoogle woogle wumkins! And I would never upset you intentionally either!” She placed several small kisses along Alphys snout and grinned at you and Papyrus, obviously mocking you all. You both frowned at her indignantly.

     “U-undyne, stop teasing them,” Alphys sighed, still blushing.

     “Haha, alright, alright. Later!” She waved as she made her way back to the gym building. You and Papyrus exchanged sheepish looks before you both got into the car, heading back to campus.


	18. Thursday, 10/31/20XX: Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I love you guys and because I have a few days off, here’s an early chapter. Warning: Stuff’s about to get…er…less fluffy. ^~^; Enjoy!  
> PS: I got jokes. ;P

Thursday, 10/31/20XX

     Halloween had sort of snuck up on you. You supposed you had been a little distracted hanging out with Papyrus during most of your free time. It was unseasonably warm out, thanks to the odd weather patterns where you lived. Your fellow classmates all seemed to have plans. There were parties going on everywhere. You planned on watching one of your favorite classic anime at anime club that night. Afterward, since Alphys and Undyne had plans, you were going to work on one of your latest art projects you were planning on posting to Fumblr. All in all, it was looking to be a good night.

     Papyrus was working. You, being the worrywart you were, were concerned about him having to work on Halloween. Especially with all the parties and likely drunk students wandering around. But no, you weren’t going to be an overly concerned and controlling girlfriend and tell him to switch shifts or anything. Though you were planning on maybe checking on him later in the evening. Covertly.

     Classes ended and you walked over to the campus book store to check up on Sans. Entering the store, you noticed Sans slumped on his arms on the front desk, his left iris glowing blue as he idly rolled a pen back and forth across the table. He tensed, his eyes snapped back to two bright lights, and the pen stopped moving as you approached. He relaxed and slumped again when he noticed it was you, not even bothering to give you one of his fake smiles. Ah, he was having a bad day again. You walked behind the desk, setting down your book bag and taking a seat on the floor. You knew asking him what was wrong would get you nowhere so you opted instead to hang around for a bit in case he felt like talking about it.

     He sighed, not turning to look at you as you heard the pen start rolling back and forth on the desk again. “you ever get a premonition about something… like you’re about to have a bad time?”

     So, he was talking today. “I don’t think I h-have. But that’s… Pretty vague. Want to talk about it?”

     He sat rolling the pen back and forth on the table some more. “nah,” he finally said, still not turning around.

     You both sat in silence for a while longer, him rolling the pen and you trying to figure out what you could possibly say to help. You couldn’t think of anything.

     He finally did turn around, fake smile in place and the dim lights back in his sockets. “don’t worry about it, kid. i’m sure you’ve got better things to do than hang around here. studying to do. then japanese cartoons to watch. guessing you’re not the partying type, so maybe enjoying the quiet later?”

     “Accurate as always, but all of that is later. I can hang out now. U-unless you don’t feel like company today?” You asked.

     “nah. actually thinking about taking a nap. slow day at the store. and later, who knows? maybe i’ll go party.”

     “Really? Y-you’re going to go party tonight? As in Halloween party?” You were surprised.

     “yup,” he said, grinning and wiggling his fingers at you. “you know, for the boooo’s.”

     “Pfft, that one was pretty bad. Even if it was on theme.”

     “heh, you still laughed. alright, get outta here. gonna take that nap now.”

     You sighed, picking up your bag and standing up. “Alright. Seriously though, if you ever need..”

     “yeah, yeah. i’ll ask. don’t worry about it. have fun tonight.” He gave you one last wave as he settled leaning back in his chair. Ug, you were still worried he’d fall one of these days.

     “Have fun tonight, w-whatever you decide to do,” you called back as you exited the store. He didn’t answer, probably already asleep or close to it.

     By the time evening had rolled around, you were done with your homework and on your way to anime club. Unfortunately, Undyne couldn’t make it because she had stuff to finish up with at the gym. You entered the club auditorium room to find Alphys in her usual spot. Tonight she was wearing a cute Halloween shirt with an angry looking chibi cat on it dressed like a pumpkin. Above the cat, “kawaii” was crossed out with claw marks and “kowai” was written underneath it.

     “Where did you find that shirt?” You squeaked at her as she stood and stretched it out to show you. “It’s adorable!”

     “Ehehe, thank you. Undyne f-found it for me.” She blushed. “Y-you sure you don’t want to go with us to the haunted house? Should be fun.”

     “Haha, I think I’ll s-sit this one out. Got some art stuff I’ve gotta work on t-to post online later,” you said.

     “I know how that goes. Ehehe, some of my readers can get a little s-salty sometimes when I’m late with my fanfiction chapters…”

     You laughed, and nodded. You both quieted down as the lights turned off.

     Ah, one of your most favoritest anime was starting! The one about a man with white hair and one green eye who traveled around helping people with issues originating from invisible nature spirits. A very calm and beautiful series. Alphys glanced over at you grinning. Hah, you both knew that you both shared a crush on the main character.

     After anime club, Alphys and you walked to your usual spot where Undyne and Papyrus were already waiting. Papyrus was in his guard uniform and Undyne was wearing a shirt that said “I’m Scary Enough Without A Costume.”

     “Nice shirt,” you complimented Undyne and she grinned at you before scooping up her girlfriend into a hug and smooches.

     “Hello skeleton,” you said as you approached Papyrus, reaching around the ribs of his back. You pulled yourself to him, placing your chin on his chest to look up into his face.

     “Hello Human,” he said as he hugged you back and gently bumped his forehead against yours. This seemed to be becoming you all’s thing.

     “Mind if I ride with you all tonight?” You asked, knowing he’d have to come back to campus anyway after dropping the girls off at the apartment.

     “MIND? WHY WOULD I MIND CRUISING AROUND IN MY COOL CAR WITH A BUNCH OF HOT CHICKS IN TOW?” He pulled back to wink down at you and you laughed, somewhat surprised by that line. Undyne and Alphys also started giggling. He gave you one last squeeze before he let you go to open everyone’s doors.

     Undyne, still laughing, clapped Papyrus on the shoulder saying, “Props, man. You been reading that book I gave you?”

     Papyrus blushed as she got in the car. “M-MAYBE,” he stammered.

     Oh no. You shuddered to think what kind of book she could have possibly picked out for him to read, very likely on relationship advice.

     Alphys must have seen the dread on your face because she giggled, and stretched up to whisper, “Don’t worry. I picked out the book. B-basically the same idea as the book I gave you about monsters. Except this one is about humans.” She patted your arm, smiling, and got into the car.

     Aw, Alphys. She was so awesome to do stuff like that. Heh, even if it was because she shipped you and Paps. You gave what you hoped was a grateful look to her in the rearview mirror and she smiled and nodded back to you.

     You all shared conversations about the various activities going on in your lives during the drive. Nothing crazy, just idle chitchat. Soon, Papyrus made it back to the apartment and dropped Alphys and Undyne off. You hoped they would have fun at the haunted house. You really kind of wondered what your friends thought of the whole idea of Halloween with “scary monsters” and all. You really wondered what Sans and Papyrus thought about all the “naked” skeletons used as decorations. It had to be at least a little disturbing to them. You had decided not to ad-dress that awkward topic, so to speak. Ug, mental puns. Thank you Sans.

     “SO,” Papyrus said as he drove back. “WHAT ARE YOUR EVENING PLANS?”

     “The usual,” you said. “Gonna lock myself in the dorm and hope I have it to myself so I can work on some art. You know, since my handsome uniformed skeleton man has to work and all.” You pouted.

     “NYEH HEH, HANDSOME, HUH?” He glanced over at you briefly.

     “Hot chick, huh?” You said back, laughing. “Seriously though,” you continued, “I’ll only say it once. Please be careful tonight. I know a lot of the students will be out drinking and partying and will likely be unruly later. I know y-you can handle yourself and all, but just… Be careful.”

     Papyrus tilted his head back, groaning. You were pretty sure if he could, he’d be rolling his eyes at you. “WORRY NOT, MY UNDULY CONCERNED HUMAN. THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS HANDLED MANY AN INEBRIATED HUMAN IN HIS LINE OF WORK.”  
  
     “I know, I know,” you said, reaching over to squeeze his arm. “I just… Yeah.”

     “I UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS. YOU… MAKE SURE YOU REALLY DO LOCK YOUR DOOR TONIGHT. AND DO NOT TRY TO SNEAK OUT TO COME CHECK ON ME! DO NOT THINK I HAVEN’T NOTICED YOU DO THAT IN THE PAST! YOU ARE BECOMING ALMOST AS BAD AS SANS IN THAT REGARD…” He actually did look a little sad at that.

     “Ah, Paps! You know I just want to make sure you’re ok! I know you’re strong and can take care of yourself and that you’re a man and not a kid! Please don’t think that’s what I’m thinking if what I’m thinking is really what you think I’m thinking.” Did that even make sense? You were rambling.

     “Hey,” he said, reaching over to intertwine his fingers with yours as he kept his other hand on the wheel. “Do Not Fret. I Understand. Halloween Is Supposed To Be A Happy Time Full Of Fun And Costumes And Candy. You Should Be Happy Too! I Want You To Be! I Will Be Having Fun Too. At Work. Helping People. I Really Do Enjoy My Job! I Will Be Happy Too! Okay?”

     You let out a breath. “Ok,” you said back.

     You all got back with just enough time for Papyrus to make it to his shift. However, to his dismay, he didn’t have enough time to walk you back to your dorm room. You assured him you’d be ok, seeing as he parked close to your building and all.

     As you approached your dorm room, you were surprised to see the door cracked open and the light on. You tentatively opened it, surprised again to see your roommate and Ernie standing in there. They were both in costume, Ernie dressed like some sort of pimp or gangster (you couldn’t really tell) and Becky dressed in the skimpiest outfit you had ever seen.

     “There you are!” Becky chirped at you, smiling brightly and grabbing your arm as soon as you set your purse down.

     You cringed a little.

     “Well, well, well,” Ernie said. “If it isn’t the monster fuc… I mean friend.” He sneered at you.

     “Hey, be nice,” Becky scolded her boyfriend who ignored her. “Oh shoot!” She said, frowning and looking you over. “No costume. Oh well, no biggie! I’m sure like no one will notice what with it being dark and everyone drinking. Hee hee. Let’s go!”

     “W-wait! W-what? Go?” You stammered.

     “Duh!” Becky said, rolling her eyes. “You like, promised you’d come with to the next frat party! Well, taa daa! Tonight is party night and this one should be aaamazing! You’re totally coming with us!”

     “Totally!” Ernie echoed, already opening the door.

     “W-wait! N-no! Um… I… I already m-made plans!” Oh god, you really didn’t want to go. You had to find a way out of this.

     “Nuh uh!” Becky scolded and tsked tsked at you, wagging a finger in your face. “Hanging out around the dorm all the time doesn’t count as plans! Cooome on! You promised!” She was making a duck face at you again as she literally dragged you toward the door.

     “Ah… O-ok. But m-my purse!” You tried to pull away to no avail.

     “Leave it! Girls get in free at this party! You don’t wanna be like weighed down with that clunky thing!” She laughed and gave one final pull, sending you tripping after her into the hallway. “Hee hee, you’re going to have like sooo much fun! You can thank me later! Right, bae?” She said, turning to Ernie.  
  
     “That’s right,” he laughed, and not very kindly it sounded like to you. “Got big plans tonight. Big plans. Should be super interesting, for sure.”

     You really didn’t like the sound of that. You wanted to go back to your room. Ah crap! Your phone was in your purse! But it was too late now. Becky had already locked up the dorm. The girl across the hall cracked open her door and raised an eyebrow at the scene you and your roomie were likely making as you passed. She was walking arm in arm with you, going on and on about frat stuff. You really weren’t listening anymore. You were fighting not to start panicking. Breathe. This would be ok. Things would be ok. Maybe you were just worrying for nothing. Breathe. Maybe this would be fun. You weren’t going to panic.


	19. Still Thursday, 10/31/20XX:  Bad Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to split this chapter up but I thought nah, I'll just give ya a long chapter. Enjoy. Happy Friday!  
> Warning: More cursing than usual. Some ableist language.

Still Thursday, 10/31/20XX

     Turns out Ernie drove around an expensive looking black Porsche. With only two seats. You had to share the passenger seat with Becky. She and Ernie both laughed at you when you tried to pull a seatbelt around the two of you. He tore out of the school lot, taking full advantage of the car’s acceleration capabilities. You grabbed the grab-handle above the passenger window and tried not to panic as he swerved around other drivers and cursed them out. He drove with one hand on the wheel, and the other hand resting high up on Becky’s inner thigh. Becky glanced over at you, laughing at whatever expression you were making. Probably terrified. Because that was what you were feeling.

     “Oh you,” she laughed, patting your knee. Gah. “Relax! He always drives like this and hasn’t killed us yet!”

     Well that’s certainly reassuring, you thought darkly. “O-ok…” You said instead.

     Ernie looked over at you, barking, “You’d better not puke in my car! I’ll make you clean it up with your tongue!”

     Well, it was a good thing you weren’t exactly feeling nauseous. Because that statement might have actually made you be sick.

     “Ew, hun, that’s gross,” Becky said, scrunching her nose.

     “What? I’m serious! Come on, I was nice enough to agree to bring her along. The least she can do is not puke up my ride.” He kept glancing between you and the road, looking annoyed.

     “I-I w-won’t,” you said as he took a sharp left turn, sending Becky flying into you. She just laughed as you clutched the grip-handle for dear life.

     Finally! Finally you all stopped. You were thankful to be alive! Ernie had pulled up in front of a large one-story house nestled against a lake with several cars already out front. You loosened your grip from the handle, flexing your now sore right hand and fingers as you let yourself and Becky out of the car. You could hear music booming from inside and there were fake spiderwebs hung in the trees. The porch light emitted the purple glow of a blacklight. You flinched as Ernie threw an arm around both you and Becky, steering you towards the front door.

     “Ladies,” he said, “Welcome to the casa of Omega Pi Omega!”

     Some drunk frat boy to the side of the door shouted, “Yey yey! Omega Pi Omegaaaa!” as he sloshed his solo cup, practically spilling its contents on you. You noticed a fake looking plastic skeleton embedded on the wall by the door, with a knife through its eye socket. Fake blood was dripping down its face. The Halloween decoration disturbed you. But it was just a decoration.

     Inside the house was lit with a faint purple glow occasionally punctuated by the bright flicker of a strobe light. You noticed some lint on your shirt shining brightly now… Fog drifted across the floor, spewing from a machine in the corner. The smell of sweat, booze and cigarettes permeated the air. The front hall and what looked to be a large den had been converted into a dance floor/gathering area. It was packed with people dancing and drinking. Becky ran off excitedly to go chat with some other girls she had spotted and Ernie had followed, leaving you to fend for yourself. Everyone was in costume except you. You folded your arms in front of you and wandered off to hopefully find some darker corner you could hide in. What were you doing here? This wasn’t your element. Not at all. Everyone already seemed really drunk. At least they weren’t paying attention to you. Even though you felt guilty about being antisocial, you slumped down against a wall, folding your arms over your knees and hoping you could just hide in the shadows until it was time to leave. You weren’t going to panic.

     You lost track of how many crappy songs played over and over as you sat hidden in the corner. You were surprised to notice that despite the fact that people were drunkenly shuffling around, the place seemed relatively spotless. Well, it was until a girl stumbled by, dropping her empty cup on the floor at your feet. Almost immediately you noticed a short figure dressed in black robes approach the abandoned cup, reaching down for it with black gloved hands. Their face was obscured by an oversized hood. The person froze in their movements when they noticed you sitting there. You stared up at them. They felt… Familiar to you somehow. They continued to stare at you, paused with their hand hovering above the cup. Ah, great, you had startled them. You hastily grabbed the cup, glancing around for a trash can.

     “Ah! I-I’m sorry! I d-didn’t mean to startle you! I-I’ll throw this away! D-don’t worry!” You stammered, leaping to your feet and turning to walk the few paces to the trashcan to chuck the cup in. When you turned around to stammer another apology, the person had disappeared. They probably wandered off into the crowd again.

     You made to return to your corner when you felt someone grab you by the arm. You jumped and immediately tried to pull away, but were met by Becky’s familiar voice.

     “Hey, there you are! So jumpy!” she practically shouted into your ear over the music as she kept a hold on you. “I want to introduce you to my friends! I’ve told them all about you and they’re like, super curious to meet you!”

     You reluctantly followed/were dragged by your roommate over to the other room. She led you over to a group of girls who were equally skimpily clad in similar costumes to Becky. You could do this, you coached yourself internally. You didn’t have to be antisocial all night. Maybe Becky’s friends were nice and just wanted to be friends and you were being rude by trying to avoid everyone. It was a little quieter in this room away from the music.

     Becky motioned to each of her friends as she pointed them out, “This is Missy, Crystal, Sarah, and Mandy. Everyone, this is my weird roommate I’ve been telling you about! You’ll have to bear with her because she’s like a social recluse or something!”

     Well, with that lovely introduction, you really didn’t know what to say. You offered a shy wave instead. All five girls were now staring at you, sizing you up. They studied you like you were an insect or something. You stared down at the floor. Ah, you had already forgotten their names. Not a good start.

     “So like, this is monster girl?” One of the girls said. Monster girl?

     “Where’s her costume?” One of the other girls said.

     The third girl snickered, saying, “Don’t you get it, Missy? This is her costume! She’s pretending to be human today!”

     All four girls erupted into laughter as Becky started patting your back, laughing along with them. Was that meant as an insult? You were probably blushing and were at a complete loss for words.

     “Oh, don’t worry,” Becky told you. “They’re just like teasing you and stuff. Mandy, go easy on the teasing! I told you she’s like shy and stuff!”

     “Becky, Becky,” Missy, you think, sighed as she patted Becky’s head. “You’re such a saint. Always being nice to everyone, even the freaks.”

     The fourth girl who hadn’t spoken yet, piped up, “Better be careful Becky. If you hang out with freaks, you might become one. Next thing we know our little Becky will be attracted to monsters too.”

     Becky wrinkled her nose at that, “Ew, really Crystal? As if! Oh, hee hee, no offense!” She added to you as an afterthought.

     “O-ok,” You mumbled at the floor. Why did you think Becky’s friends would be nice? That was stupid. Now you just wanted to go home. Would it be rude to just walk away?

     “It speaks!” Mandy said. “I was beginning to wonder if it actually was a monster. Though I’m pretty sure monsters can talk. I was starting to think we’d have to drag over the new frat mascot janitor thing to translate for us.” She giggled.

     “See?” Becky said, leaning down into your field of vision so you’d have to look at her. Ah, this was ridiculous. You lifted your head to face her so she wouldn’t do that. “I told you there were like a bunch of monsters in the frat!”

     “Becky, there are two,” one of the other girls said. “Our mysterious cloaked mascot and the pledge.”

     “Okay,” Becky said with a huff, “But that’s kind of like a bunch! Oh no! You should have like, brought your skeleton boyfriend! He would have fit the theme tonight perfectly! OMG, why didn’t I think of that until just now? You should totally call him up and invite him!”

     Even if you had had your phone, you wouldn’t have called Paps. You wouldn’t subject him to this. These people… They weren’t acting like very good people. Though maybe it was because they were all a little drunk? “I…I d-don’t have my ph-phone. A-and he’s… He’s w-working tonight,” you stuttered.

     “OMG, Becky, you didn’t tell us she was also retarded,” probably Sarah said. You were staring at the floor again. Starting to kind of detach yourself from the awful situation. Debating again just walking away. That would be rude, though. But weren’t they being rude?

     Becky was saying something back about speech patterns but you had zoned out. Your breathing had picked up and you were concentrating on slowing it down. You looked away from the group to the side, where the hooded figure was standing some distance away, regarding you silently. You saw two points of light shining from under the hood. So that person was a monster. The person seemed tense, clenching and unclenching their fists as they stared in your direction. What kind of face were you making? This monster…. He seemed familiar… Just as you contemplated approaching him, you noticed Ernie walk over to the figure. He smirked in your direction and then leaned down to say something to the monster while putting a hand on his shoulder. The monster slumped, nodded, and reluctantly shuffled out to the other room. Ernie followed.  
  
     Someone smacked your shoulder, hard. You flinched and grabbed your shoulder, looking up to see Crystal staring at you. “I asked you a question, freak!” she screamed at you.

     “Hey!” Becky gasped, “No need to be so rough!”

     “I-I’m s-sorry. W-what was the question?” You asked, rubbing at your shoulder. There would probably be a bruise there later.

     “I asked, freak, if before you were attracted to skeletons you were attracted to corpses. You know, necrophilia. We’re studying about weird mental diseases in my psych class and I think writing my research paper about you would get me in good with the professor. He’s hella hot. So how about it?” She slurred and sloshed her drink.

     “N-no. That’s… No,” you said, starting to look for an escape. It wasn’t even worth it to try to correct her bigotry. She wouldn’t listen. You couldn’t be around these horrible people anymore.

     “Crystal, that’s not cool. You don’t need…” Becky started, but she was cut off.

     “N-n-no to helping m-me w-write my paper,” Crystal mocked you, laughing at you as some of the other girls joined in laughing, “Or no to the necrophilia?”

     “Ah… B-both. Please excuse me…” You said, quickly ducking away and bolting for the main room before anyone could stop you.

     You heard the girls behind you erupt into laughter, all except Becky who called out for you to wait, but you couldn’t face them. You probably should have tried to defend monsters. Not just stand there saying nothing. But you were afraid of panicking. You had to get away. You weren’t going to cry. There had to be a bathroom or hell, at this point you’d take a closet to hide in. You wished you had your phone. But who would you even call? You wouldn’t want any of your friends subjected to this. You had to get out of there. Somehow you stumbled into the kitchen and found the back door. Outside! You could go outside!

     You gratefully pushed through the back door, taking in calming breaths of the cool night air as you leaned against the wall. Outside was definitely better. There weren’t a lot of people out, save for a handful of guys milling about along with a small flame monster. The monster was very small, only coming up to about belly height on most of the guys. He was talking and laughing along with the others but you noticed his eyes kept darting nervously to the cups and bottles in their hands as they waved them around in their stumbling. You felt an arm slide around your shoulders and immediately tried to duck away but they tightened their hold, apparently anticipating you would do that.

     “What’s up, buttercup?” Ernie snickered down at you, his breath reeking of alcohol. “I was just gonna come look for you. Someone I wanna introduce you to.” He steered you over toward the flame monster’s group and the whole group of them stopped talking and stood up straighter as Ernie approached.

     “Guys, pledges, future brothers, this is my girlfriend’s roommate. See, I wanted to show her somethin. Here, at Omega Pi Omega, we treat everyone equally.” He looked down at you his lip curling into a mockery of a smile. “I see that skeptical expression, sweetie, but despite what you may think, I mean what I say. But don’t take my word for it! Why don’t you ask Flamesman how he likes it here? Oh, we’ll even give you all some space! Come on pledges, I’ve got a job for you all.” And with that, he walked off.

     The other pledges exchanged confused glances and shrugs and followed, leaving you and the flame monster to stand there awkwardly. What was that all about? He didn’t seem very… Sincere.

     “I-I’m sorry,” you told the little flame monster. “B-because of me, y-you were left here to talk to me.”

     “Don’t be,” he said happily. “The name’s Flamesman. Heats Flamesman. You can call me Heats. Remember my name!”

     He reached his hand up to shake your hand and you took it, telling him your name too. His hand was a lot warmer than your other monster friends’ hands, but it didn’t burn you.

     “Hey, hey. I recognize that name!” He exclaimed, his flames brightening. “You’re the one dating Papyrus, right? A friend of mine knows you! She should be here later tonight. Small world,” he said happily. He then studied your face a little more intently, the flames around him shifting and flickering, “Hm, you don’t seem like you’re having a lot of fun tonight. People giving you a tough time? Don’t worry about it! They gave me a tough time too at first but most people are nice here once you get to know them! I haven’t been here long, but it’s really not so bad here! Promise! Well, heh heh, as long as you remember to avoid the spilling drinks. Stick around! You’ll get to see whatever shenanigans they have planned for us pledges tonight. Should be fun!”

     He smiled again, the flames brightening and flickering around his form. He sure was chatty. You smiled too, happy to have found someone nice. Hm, maybe you were judging Ernie a little too harshly. Maybe he was ok after all. You decided to give the frat another chance. “Ok,” you told him. “I’m g-glad you’re having fun. I’ll try too.”

     “That’s the spirit!” Heats cheered.

     “Alright Flamesman!” Ernie’s voice boomed out across the yard. “Get over here! We’re starting!”

     “Whoops, that’s my cue! It was really nice meeting you!” he said as he scurried off toward Ernie.

     “Y-you too, Heats!” You called after him and he paused and flickered brightly again, turning to give you a smile before hurrying off.

     You looked to the house door, noticing people starting to file out into the yard. Hm, something was going on.

     “Hey,” Becky had slid up next to you, gently tapping your arm. “Are you ok?”

     You looked over at her, honestly shocked that she a) noticed something was wrong, and b) cared enough to ask about it.

     “So, I’m like sorry and stuff for my friends. They… Just don’t know how to be nice to weirdos I guess? But that’s okay! We don’t like, have to hang out with them or anything,” she said to you.

     “W-what? No! Go hang out with your friends! I-I’m ok,” you said, still in shock. Why was she being nice to you?

     “Ugh, no. It’s seriously fine. Crystal can be like, a total bitch when she drinks. I don’t really wanna hang out with her when she’s like that anyway. I brought you here and said you’d have fun, so I’m gonna make sure you have fun! I like, started this whole socialization project with you so I’m responsible! Besides, Ernie’s about to do fun things with the pledges! Hee hee, he promised tonight would be interesting and I can’t wait to see what he has in store! Last time he had them all like, dig through a big bin of M&M’s to find the Skittles. Who knows what he’ll have them doing tonight!” She hopped up and down excitedly next to you. Ah, whatever. You watched as some guys wheeled out a long cart with a big black sheet over it in front of the pledges, who you noticed were standing shoulder to shoulder in line. Heats Flamesman included. Looked like they were having their hands bound behind their backs too.

     Ernie stepped up in front of the display, raising both hands as everyone settled down, listening. “Alright everyone, gather ‘round.” He paused to take a sip of his beer. “Here at Omega Pi Omega, we are all about tradition and respect. When my father started all this,” He motioned around with a beer bottle in his hand, “It was for the purpose of weeding out those exceptional individuals that could make the cut. Assets, if you will, for his future company. Well, and maybe for the other kinds of assets too, if you know what I mean,” he snickered and a bunch of the guys chuckled. “Anyway… Right. Tradition. So, without further ado, I present to you the time honored Halloween tradition of…” He reached over, flinging off the black sheet to reveal several tubs full of water and apples. “Bobbing for apples!”

     A hushed confusion fell over the crowd as all eyes eventually fell on Heats. Some of the other pledges were even looking over at him uncertainly. Heats stared down into the tubs blankly, his pupils small and his flames dying to a low flicker. You realized, with horror, what exactly Ernie had planned. No. No, someone had to stop this. This was wrong. Why wasn’t anyone speaking up?

     “What’s the matter, Flamesman?” Ernie taunted. “Problem with tonight’s activities? Afraid of a little water? I thought you asked me to treat you like everyone else. No one else here seems to have a problem with this, right future brothers?” They all hesitated, glancing nervously amongst each other and Ernie. “RIGHT?” He barked at them again. Some murmured and mumbled agreements while others were hesitating. “That’s what I thought. Anyway, let the games beg…”

     “NO!” You heard yourself yell, as you broke away from a surprised Becky to bolt over to stand in front of Heats, facing Ernie. You were shaking. “Th-this isn’t r-right! W-why are you d-doing this? Why are y-you so h-hateful?” You stammered. Your knees were shaking so badly, it was a wonder you could stand. You could feel your heart hammering against your ribcage.

     Ernie seemed caught off guard for a moment, but his face soon broke into an evil grin. “Well, well,” Ernie sneered down at you, “If it isn’t ‘Little Miss Monster Fucker.’ The girl who thinks she’s too good for us humans. Tell me girl, what the hell gives you the right to judge me and what I do with my frat? My pledges?” He leaned down close to you, his face mere inches from yours. Your chest hurt. Your breathing was erratic. Tears were starting to leak down your face. You couldn’t form words, but you weren’t going to back down either. “So you’ve got nothing. That’s what I thought. Now get fuck out of here!” He yelled in your face, a little spittle hitting you as he sharply pointed away from the house toward the road. You grimaced. You could tell he was drunk and was clearly angry at the interruption. Would he hurt you? But you couldn’t let him hurt Heats. What would happen to him if they forced him into that tub of water? He might die!

     “I-I’m… N-not m-moving,” you said shakily. You were becoming sweaty and dizzy. You couldn’t breathe. Oh god, you had to breathe. You couldn’t panic. You couldn’t pass out. Not now. Breathe.

     “Fuck this, she’s right,” one of the pledges said as he loosened the bindings around his wrist and slipped out of them. “Flamesman doesn’t deserve this. And I don’t want to be a part of this shit show. I’m out.”

     Ernie wheeled around to the guy, outraged. “You dare go against me? Do you have any idea what I could do to you? Do you even want a future career?” He yelled as some of the other pledges and partygoers started to inch away while Ernie was distracted. As the attention left you, you could feel the adrenaline leave your body and your knees buckled. You fell on all fours to the hard ground, scraping your hand in the process. You barely felt it though. The tight feeling in your chest and the need to breathe were the only things you could focus on. You could feel a very warm hand on your back and someone talking to you but you couldn’t make out the words. Everything was swirling and your world was becoming dark.

     Things were fading in and out for you. You were laying in the dirt.

     Darkness.

     People yelling and shuffling around. Flailing limbs and cursing.

     More darkness.  
  
     The sound of screaming and glass breaking inside the house.

     More darkness.

     Becky shaking your shoulder, concerned. Heats told her to give you some space.

     More darkness.  
  
     Static in the air.

     More darkness.

     Startled cries and gasps as the back door to the house flew open, literally ripped from its hinges. A tall figure stood there, his hands clenched to the sides and a single eye glowing bright orange.

     More darkness.

     Being surrounded by such an intense feeling of static, you could feel it crackle around you. You were being carried. Boney arms supported you.

     More darkness.  
  
     Feeling as well as hearing the hum of magic, as loud as you have ever heard it. Almost a growl. Angry. But not at you.

     More darkness.

     People were falling over themselves to get out of the way with wide, frightened eyes.

     More darkness.

     You looked up, confused. Papyrus was carrying you. But what was that look? His teeth were clenched in a grimace. His eyes were bottomless voids save for an iris quickly flickering between orange and dark blue as he stared straight ahead. Unearthly shadows danced across his face.

     More darkness.


	20. Friday, 11/01/20XX:  Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, 20 chapters. And I blame you guys. ;P Thanks again for all the kind words and support! Hope you continue to enjoy. ^-^
> 
> Warning: Some blood (don't worry, don't worry) and tears

Early Friday Morning, 11/01/20XX

     A jostle caused you to open your eyes again, as you started to become more aware of your surroundings. You were in a car. Papyrus’ car. He had a tight grip on your hand and his left hand was on the steering wheel. His hands were shaking. He squinted at the road ahead, actually mumbling aloud something about hospitals. He was still in his guard uniform. Beads of sweat dotted his skull.

     “Hey…” You said as you squeezed his hand back. As you started to remember how you had gotten to where you were now, you started to feel embarrassed. Ah man, he had had to come rescue you. He snapped his head over to look at you, his eye sockets widening and he quickly pulled over to the side of the road.

     “YOU… YOU ARE CONSCIOUS! A-ARE YOU OKAY? NO, OF COURSE YOU ARE NOT! BUT YOU ARE TALKING NOW. STAYING AWAKE. THESE ARE GOOD CHANGES. BUT YOU ARE INJURED!” He held your left hand up to show you your scraped palm. It was just a few light scrapes but ug, it looked like you had bled little on his hand bones. “I DID NOT HAVE A BANDAGE TO STOP THE BLEEDING. I’VE READ THAT PRESSURE OVER BLEEDING WOUNDS MAKES THEM STOP BLEEDING. I AM SORRY. I AM BRINGING YOU TO A HOSPITAL… WHEN I FIGURE OUT WHERE TO FIND ONE. THEY WILL HELP YOU! I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO HEAL HUMANS. I AM SORRY FOR NOT KNOWING HOW TO HEAL YOU. I AM SORRY I DID NOT GET THERE IN TIME. I… I’m Sorry…” His voice cracked as he stared down at the scratches on your hand.

     “H-hey! Hey, woah, no!” You said alarmed, bringing your good hand up to the side of his face. “It’s not your fault! Paps, they’re just some small scrapes. And I just passed out earlier. It… It happens sometimes. I’m ok though! Really, I’m fine! I don’t need a hospital!”

     He took in a few stuttering breaths of air, still not meeting your eyes. ‘’I… I Should Have Walked You Up To The Dorm. I Should Have Abandoned My Post Sooner When I Realized…”

     “Not your fault,” You repeated, stroking his cheekbone with your thumb.

     “Why did you not call me? Why?” He all but whispered, trying not to break down.

     “I-I didn’t have my phone. Please don’t be sad! I’m ok! Really!” You said.

     “Tell me what happened. All of it,” he breathed quietly, still not meeting your eyes. You dropped your hand and started rubbing it.

     You recounted everything you could remember, from the point where your roommate had dragged you from the dorm all the way up until Papyrus had carried you out of the frat house. He visibly tensed throughout the story, especially at the parts where you talked about Becky’s friends and the things Ernie said to you. You left out the parts about the hooded monster. There was something to that you had to confirm for yourself. You suddenly remembered Heats! Oh no! How had you forgotten about him?!

     “Oh!” You cried, making Papyrus jump. “Ah, sorry. But Heats… Heats Flamesman! Did you see what happened? Is he okay? Oh god, how could I forget?”

     “He’s Fine!” Papyrus said, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “He Left With Your Neighbor From Across The Hall. She… Was Actually The One Who Told Me What Happened And Where To Find You. She Saw Those… Those… Those People Dragging You Away. She Is Friends With Heats And Recognized… Your Roommate’s Boyfriend. She Drove To The Frat Separately And Took Heats Home. He Is Okay.”

     You gave a sigh of relief. Then it dawned on you! Papyrus was supposed to be working right now! It was just past midnight! Oh no, you had made him miss work! “Ah! Y-your work! I interrupted your work! I’m so sorry! Gah, I can’t believe I…”

     “STOP,” he barked, finally looking over to frown down at you. You were stunned into silence. “Stop. Stop Focusing On Others And Downplaying What Happened To You. That Is Not Okay. You Went Through Something So Traumatic You Lost Consciousness! You Bled! And Now Here You Sit Acting Like Everything Is Okay! And Maybe You Are Okay Or Maybe You Are Not. It Is A Little Tough For Me To Tell How Bad Off You Are When You Do Not Even Seem To Care About Your Own Wellbeing! This Is Not Okay!” He was clutching the steering wheel with both hands and gritting his teeth.

     “… I really am ok…” You insisted uneasily.

     “WELL I AM NOT!!!” He shouted and you flinched. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his hands on the steering wheel, taking steadying breaths.

     You sat there, at a loss of what to do or say.

     He was silent for a while, taking slow, deep breaths. In the silence, his magic had become loud enough to hear again. Even from where you were sitting. A steady drone, reacting to his mood. He took another very deep breath and blew it out. Opening his eyes, he smiled at you and sat up straight again. His smile looked very forced. Then, in an overly cheerful voice, he said, “WOWIE, SORRY ABOUT THAT! WORRY NOT! EVERYTHING WORKED OUT IN THE END! YOU SAY YOU ARE OKAY SO I WILL BELIEVE YOU ARE! I AM OKAY TOO!” With trembling hands, he put the car in gear. “EVERYTHING IS FINE!”

     He was not fine. “Paps…” You started, concern lacing your voice.

     “I SAID WORRY NOT AND YOUR VOICE HOLDS WORRY IT SHOULD NOT,” he said in his forced chipper tone, while he concentrated on the road. He had a death grip on the steering wheel with both hands as he drove. “I SWITCHED WITH A COWORKER SO I DO NOT HAVE TO WORK THE REST OF TONIGHT. WE WILL STOP BY THE DORM SO YOU CAN GET YOUR THINGS AND THEN YOU WILL WAIT AT MY HOME UNTIL ALPHYS AND UNDYNE GET BACK FROM THEIR HALLOWEEN THING. THEN YOU CAN STAY WITH THEM FOR THE NIGHT! I KNOW THEY WILL NOT MIND! ARE THESE PLANS AGREEABLE TO YOU?”

     You were pretty sure it didn’t matter whether or not these plans were agreeable to you. Part of you was annoyed by that. But seeing the state Paps was in, you just nodded at him when he glanced at you. Not like you really wanted to stay at the dorm tonight anyway. Or maybe ever. You had given your roommate too many chances, hadn’t you? And time and time again she had proven that you shouldn’t have. She hung out with such horrible people. Her boyfriend was beyond horrible. She was always saying such horrible things. She was not acting like good person, no matter how badly you wanted her to be. Part of you still wanted to forgive her anyway. She had tried to be nice to you in her own way at the end of the frat incident, hadn’t she? Besides, you had paid for your dorm room through the end of the semester. What were you supposed to do now?

     Paps was getting out of the car. Ah, you had zoned out and were just now noticing you all had parked at the school. He opened the door for you, fake smile still in place and stood there tensely with one hand on the door and his other hand clenched into a tight fist. You were pretty sure your roommate would still be out, but just in case, you thought it would be a good idea for Paps to wait in the car and calm down.

     “Thank you,” you told him. “I will be right back.”

     “NOPE.” He said, smiling down at you. “I AM COMING WITH YOU.”

     “I’ll be ok. I’m pretty sure Becky is still out anyway,” you tried.

     “I AM STILL COMING WITH YOU,” he said too cheerfully, shutting your door a little too hard after you got out. Your worry for him was quickly overriding your irritation and embarasment. He was clearly not calming down. Something was wrong. Sweat still dotted his forehead, and his magic was still an audible drone. He had his hands clenched so hard you could faintly hear the sound of bone grinding against bone.

     “Ok…” you said.

     You both walked silently to the dorm. Luckily, it seemed it was still too early for all the partygoers to be coming back yet. Papyrus seemed hyper vigilant, his head darting to look at any person that passed by or any ominous shadow you passed. He kept very close to you. What was going on with him? And why wasn’t he talking to you about it? You reached out for one of his clenched hands as you approached the elevator for your dorm. He wouldn’t open his fist so you just cradled his hand in yours, rubbing your thumb along the top of his knuckles. You looked up at him as he stared straight ahead. One of his eye sockets twitched at the corner and his fake smile wavered slightly.

     “Please Do Not. Do Not Ask Me To Talk About Anything Right Now,” he said, not looking down at you. You let his hand go. That hurt, despite knowing he wasn’t mad at you. You knew this. He was just trying to keep his cool. Probably wanted to wait until you all got back to the apartment before talking about things. Had you scared him that badly tonight? Ug, why had you just gone along with Becky’s stupid party thing?

     Thankfully, your dorm room was empty and dark when you got there. You packed up some things, including your book bag, monster history book, and other necessities. Papyrus took your bag from you to carry and you let him. As you approached the elevator, it dinged at your floor. Narrowing his eye sockets and his right eye socket flaring orange briefly, Papyrus literally let out a low sort of growl and gently pushed you behind him. You could feel a static crackle in the air. You were too stunned to protest. The elevator door slid open to reveal your neighbor who lived across the hall. She paused, making eye contact with Papyrus. She held her stoic expression, not flinching. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he relaxed his stance slightly and the static disappeared. She nodded at him and he gave a quick jerk of his head back at her as she approached to pass you all by.

     “Ah… Th-Thank you…” you said lamely, sort of at a loss for words from what just transpired. But you had to let her know you were grateful she had taken Heats home and had looked out for you too. She seemed to understand, smiling slightly and nodding at you as well before she passed by to enter her room and close the door.

     He turned back toward you, smiling too brightly again, as if all that didn’t just happen. “WELL, SHALL WE GO THEN?” He asked.

     You stared at him, debating on saying something, and finally just nodded. He made to reach for your hand but noticed the dried blood on his own hand as it started shaking again. He clenched it back into a tight fist, forcefully smiling down at you as he kind of nudged you ahead toward the elevator.

     The ride back to his apartment was silent and tense as he death gripped the steering wheel again. You would understand him being angry about what happened at the party, but it happened over an hour ago at this point! And he was clearly still agitated. You’d never seen him like this before. You were worried. This just wasn’t like him.

     His apartment was dark when you got there. Sans wasn’t home. Papyrus carried your bag in for you and set it down. You grabbed it and went to the bathroom to wash your stinging left hand, noticing that indeed you just had a few small scrapes. You heard the water running in the kitchen and hoped Papyrus was washing the dried blood from his own hand too. Ug, you still felt bad for bleeding on him. You decided to change since the clothes you were wearing smelled like smoke and booze. As you got back to the den, you noticed Papyrus had changed out of his uniform and was wearing plaid sleep pants and a shirt that said “Keep Calm And Eat Pasta.” He was holding his phone. His hands were shaking. He saw you approach, forcing a smile and saying, “UNDYNE AND ALPHYS SHOULD BE GETTING HOME SOON IF THEY ARE NOT ALREADY HOME! I WILL TEXT THEM AND ASK… HEY!”

     You snatched his phone away from his trembling hands, putting it down on the table. “I’m staying here,” you told him. No way were you leaving him home alone when he was so upset.

     “NYEH… HEH… UM… HOW… HOW BOLD OF YOU?” He tried joking.

     “Paps, talk to me,” you said, crossing your arms in front of you.

     “I AM PRETTY SURE WE ARE TALKING RIGHT NOW,” he said, sweat running down his skull.

     “Please talk to me. Something is clearly bothering you and has you all freaked out.”

     “THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT FREAK OUT! HE IS ALWAYS CALM AND COOL AND IN CONTROL!”

     You felt a little bad forcing him to talk about something he was avoiding, but it was clearly wearing on him. “What happened when you got to the frat?” You asked.

     Ah! That hit the nail on the head. His grin faltered and his eye sockets twitched. You heard the sound of bone against bone again as he clenched his fists tightly.

     “Please talk to me,” you tried again, reaching out to touch his hands.

     “I… UM, WOWIE, IT SURE IS LATE!” He said as he jerked his hands away, his voice cracking slightly. He backed away from you, toward the hallway. “I… I AM GOING TO GO… UM… GO TO SET UP MY ROOM SO YOU CAN SLEEP SINCE YOU ARE STAYING! OH, I… I WILL BE STAYING ON THE COUCH! WAIT HERE!” He bolted for his room and shut the door.

     Ok. It worried you even more that he was so reluctant to talk with you even at the apartment. After a moment’s hesitation, you crossed the den to the hallway and stood outside his door, raising your fist up to knock. The door squeaked open when your fist made contact. You knocked a little more gently and when he didn’t answer, you slowly opened the door, casting some light into the dark room. He was sitting on the edge of his race car bed with his elbows propped on his knees and his face buried in his hands.

     “Seems The Door Did Not Latch,” he said shakily, as his trembling hand bones rattled against his skull.

     You left the door cracked open, slowly approaching him. He didn’t say anything else. You sat down beside him, not saying anything either and afraid he would flinch away again if you touched him.  
  
     After a few minutes of sitting in silence, he took a deep breath and murmured silently, his face still in his hands, “When I got there and saw you… It looked like you had fallen down. I did not know if you would get back up. I did not know what happened. Your hand… There was blood. There were people fighting and others just standing there and you were not standing. I… I… I Almost… But then you moved. You looked at me. Alive. Not fallen. I had to get you out of there. No one tried to stop me. For their sake, it is good they did not. I do not know what I would have done if… If…” He shuddered. His breath started catching in intermittent spasms as tears leaked through his hand bones and ran down his arms.

     You tentatively reached over, gently rubbing across his scapulas. He didn’t try to move away. Instead, he practically fell into you so he could wrap his arms around you and clutch your back, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You wrapped one arm around his back and cradled the back of his head with your other hand. He started making choked noises against you as you felt his tears leak down your neck and into your shirt. You ran your hand along the back of his skull, trying to sooth his crying. God, you felt bad. You hated the fact that your gentle skeleton had been so traumatized. You told him it was ok, over and over as he hiccuped and whimpered.

     “It’s ok,” you repeated, trying not to choke up yourself. You cleared your throat. “I’m ok and you didn’t hurt anyone.”

     “No,” he croaked, finally able to talk again. “But… But I could have. I… I do not want to be like that. I want to be a good person. Someone who could protect you, without hurting anyone. I failed. I am sorry I did not get there in time. You were hurt. I am so sorry.”  
  
      “You are a good person! And again, you didn’t hurt anyone. I’m sorry you got dragged into this whole stupid thing just because I didn’t say no. I should have said no,” you said, sniffling. “As for protecting me? You did! You do! I really am ok. Please believe me. But I want to protect you too! I want you to always be able to tell me anything. Tell me when something’s bothering you. Or if you ever need anything. Ok? I’ll do the same.”

     He was quiet again for a few minutes as you held each other. He seemed to have stopped crying. His magic was quieting down to a low hum. You thought he might be falling asleep against you before he broke the silence again. “Stay with me tonight. Please?” He said hoarsely. “I just need you within reach so I know you are okay… And I know it is a breach of dating etiquette what I ask but I just need you close.” There was a pause. “But, you know, if you are uncomfortable with this request I would understand and you can stay in here and I will be fine on the couch if you would leave the door open…”

     “I’ll stay,” you said, as you resumed rubbing his skull. You didn’t want to leave him alone. And after the night you had, you didn’t want to be alone either.

     He let out a sigh and squeezed you briefly in reply.

     Eventually you both settled under the covers. You and he had your foreheads pressed together as you rubbed along his skull and cheekbones. He had an arm around your waist clutched slightly in the back of your shirt. His eye sockets kept drifting open and closed as he looked at you. Eventually, his eye sockets stayed closed and his grip on your shirt loosened. You kept rubbing along his face as he started to snore quietly.


	21. Friday, 11/01/20XX:  Pulling Teeth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, can't think of any particular warnings for this chapter... maybe mild cursing. ^~^; Hope you all had a good week!

Friday, 11/01/20XX

     The room door creaking woke you up again sometime in the early morning. It was hot. Ug, you were kind of sweaty. You attempted to kick off the covers only to discover that you couldn’t move. You were completely wrapped up in bony limbs and surrounded by the sounds of soft snoring and the low hum of magic. Ah, Papyrus. At least he sounded calmer and was no longer shaking. The door creaked again and you managed to be able to turn your head a little to look toward the room doorway. Sans was standing there, regarding you all silently with his dim light eyes. …Ah, crap. Your heart dropped into your stomach as you made eye contact with the shorter brother. You swallowed thickly. Papyrus grumbled and tightened his hold on you before continuing snoring. Sans just blinked, let out a sigh, and ambled off somewhere else. You heard his footsteps approaching the kitchen and heard the fridge door open. Ok.

     You gently untangled yourself from Papyrus who grumbled again and opened his eye sockets a little, looking at you.

     “Hey,” you said, smiling down at him as you sat up in the bed, rubbing your fingers along the side of his face. He closed his eyes again and hummed. “I’m skipping classes today. No need to get up. Get some sleep.”

     “Mhm,” he mumbled, settling on his back. He started snoring again. Hah, you doubt he even woke up fully. He certainly would have had more to say about you skipping classes had he been awake. You figured he needed the sleep today. His magic and emotions had been sort of on overdrive from the night before.

     You quietly exited the bedroom and gently closed the door. You tentatively approached the den and Sans was sitting there on the couch with an open bottle of BBQ sauce in one hand and a book open in his lap. He didn’t seem to really be reading it though. He was slumped with his head back against the cushion staring at the ceiling. The shadows around his eye sockets were deep and the lights in them dim. You sat on the other side of the couch and the lights of his eyes moved to look at you but he didn’t move otherwise.

     “mornin.”

     “Good morning.”

     “should i make vague threats at you again about what happens if you hurt my brother?”

     “I… I don’t think that’s necessary…”

     “ok. good. ‘cause frankly, i don’t have the energy for all that right now.”

     He lazily took a swig of the BBQ sauce as you watched him.

     “N-no ketchup today?”

     “nah. it’s a BBQ sauce kind of day after last night.”

     “No puns about me asking saucy questions or getting all up in your grill?”

     “heh, no. again, no energy.”

     “Why?” You asked, now turning toward him.

     He closed his eye sockets, letting out a sigh. “something tells me you already know the answer to that question.”

     “I have a very good guess. I just don’t understand why. W-why would you hang out at a place like that? With people like that? Ernie’s frat. You were there! A-and I don’t understand why.”

     “welp,” he said as he closed his book and slowly stood, placing both book and BBQ sauce on the coffee table. “you have one too many questions for me this early. think i’ll…”

     “Oh no you don’t!” You exclaimed, as you stood up and stepped in front of him, blocking his path to the hallway. He was going to try to deflect you again. And you weren’t having it anymore. After everything, you’d had it with secrets and shenanigans. You were going to get to the bottom of this. For his own good. You were determined. His eye sockets widened in surprise up at you as the lights in them dilated a fraction. You continued, “Ug, I’m so tired of this! Tired of you stubborn skeletons not talking about what’s bothering you and putting on a show of pretending everything’s ok!”

     “woah, kid. that statement. kinda racist…”

     “Alright, I’m sorry about the stubborn skeleton comment. But we are talking about this! About you being at the frat! Why? Why would you just allow people to treat you like garbage?”

     “oh, you’re one to talk,” he said as he narrowed his sockets up at you and shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. “i didn’t see you fighting back when those… we’ll call them human girls for the sake of conversation flow, were being shitty to you. where was your righteous fury then? or is that only reserved for when you feel others are in danger? even those you don’t even really know. you’ll defend them, but not yourself?”

     Oh he’d seen that? Now you were angry. “You mean you saw what they were about to do to Heats and did nothing? What the hell, Sans! You would have let them do that to him and would have just stood there?! I don’t believe you! I don’t want to believe you’d let something like that happen!”

     The lights in Sans’ sockets were narrowing to smaller and smaller pinpricks as you spoke and he gritted his teeth. “this is exactly what i’m talking about. this is what you get angry about. the fact that i didn’t help someone i hardly know. you’re not even mentioning the fact that i didn’t help you. the fact that i could have easily teleported you out of there but didn’t. two things, kiddo. one: ernie sent me on an errand just before the whole thing with heats started. i didn’t know about it until after i got back. two: there are things going on that i don’t want you or my brother involved with.”

     “Too bad,” you said, glaring down at Sans with your arms folded over your chest. “Because now both your brother and I are involved with this. In case you didn’t know, your brother was there last night too.”

     “yeah, i know. i got back around the time he was carrying you out. he didn’t see me. doubt he was seeing much of anything at that point.” Sans did look sort of guilty at that. “is he, uh, ok by the way?”

     “Nice to see you still maybe care about something,” you threw at him.

     Sans’ eye sockets went dark. “ **careful** ,” he growled up at you.

     “Because you’ve just been so careful, talking such good care of yourself lately,” you retorted sarcastically.

     Sans’ magic started to crackle around you two as he glowered at you with darkened sockets. “ **t** **his conversation is over.** ”

     “Like hell it is!” you snapped. “This conversation is just starting! I’m so tired of this, Sans. I’m tired of watching you be depressed and worn down and not being able to do anything about it. I’m tired of seeing Papyrus so worried about you and you refusing to talk about it.” The magic crackle started to fade as Sans’ tiny eye lights returned to his sockets as you spoke. You were starting to tear up. “I tried to be a good friend and give you space, hoping you’d eventually talk to me. Or if not me, someone. But you just keep bottling stuff up. Maybe out of pride or whatever, I’m not sure. I didn’t know things were this bad with you. To the point where you’d let such horrible people use you. I’m sorry I didn’t see it. I probably should have seen it. Whether you believe it or not, you have many people who care about you. I care about you. It hurts to see you so unhappy all the time. I want you to be happy. Please, please tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you, even if all I can do is listen.” You sniffled and wiped at your eyes. “I wasn’t supposed to cry. Please pretend I didn’t.”

     Bright lights had returned to Sans’ sockets and he gave you a real smile. “heh, heh. you’ve been hanging out with my brother too much. you’re starting to pick up some of his habits.” He took his hand out of his pocket to scratch the back of his skull as he let out a sigh. “alright, buddy. ok. i give. you win. let’s talk.”

     He motioned you toward the couch as he slumped back into his spot, picking up the BBQ sauce again. You sat down on the opposite end facing him. He unscrewed the cap and took several long gulps before screwing the cap back on and setting the bottle aside. “so, you remember how paps’ car broke down and i went and got him a new one? pretty sure you knew the story about where i found his new one was bogus.”

     You nodded at him, curious why he was starting his talk there.

     “well,” he continued, “you could probably tell, but the car i got him was practically new. wasn’t cheap. more expensive than our wages could cover. though paps didn’t know that since i handle the finances and bills. anyway, right after that, i went looking into getting a second job.”

     “Aw, you didn’t need to do that! If you’d just let me…” you started but Sans cut you off.

     “look, pal. do you want me to continue or not?” He raised a bone eyebrow at you.

     You shut your mouth and nodded.

     “ok. anyway, steady night-shift employment is pretty rare in this area. but i figured i could do some more odd jobs here and there. been doing that off and on anyway. a few weeks back, before the old car broke down, i responded to an ad that asked for a couple of guys and a truck to help deliver a ton of candy to a frat house. offered quite a bit of money for the job. with my talents i figured the job would be easy peasy. and it was. heh, you shoulda seen the look on some of those kids’ faces when i had their delivery sitting in front of them less than a minute after they told me where to pick it up. well, needless to say, they were impressed. their president wasn’t so much impressed as he saw an opportunity. i didn’t get a good feeling from him the moment i met him. but he payed well. he asked me if i’d be willing to make other deliveries in the future, promising to pay me well again. i told him i’d think about it.”

     Sans paused, picking up the bottle of BBQ sauce again and fiddling with the lid. The lights in his eye sockets dimmed as he stared at the cap. “well, about a week or so later, the car broke down. and the same frat had contacted me needing another delivery. even with the bad vibe, who was i to turn down such easy money? so, i showed up at the meeting spot right on time. it’s just the frat president, a few of his cronies, and i standing there. no deliveries to move. i’m confused. then the frat president, ernie, smiles and starts talking.” Sans’ eye sockets went dark again as he sat perfectly still. He sat like that for what felt like forever.

     “W-what did he say?” You squeaked, finally breaking the silence.

     “ **that if my brother and i wanted to keep our jobs, i was now his property**."  

     The silence stretched between the two of you as you stared at Sans, your mouth agape. “W-what? H-he threatened you?” You stuttered. And he got away with it? Sans seemed like the type who you didn’t want to be on his bad side.

     “yeah. he did,” Sans sighed, dim lights returning to his sockets. “i looked into it too. seems his family is pretty wealthy and contributes quite a bit of funding to the school. if he wanted to, he could easily get a couple of guys like paps and i fired. if it were just me, i would have refused. heh, he probably wouldn’t have been able to threaten anyone again after that. but i can’t do that to paps. he’s been so happy here.” He smiled sadly. “besides, the frat still pays me well. enough to make payments on the car and then some. and all i have to do is party cleanup and odd delivery jobs. isn’t so bad really. well, until last night.” He glanced at you guiltily and then back down at the BBQ sauce as he scratched the back of his head again. “i um, was shocked when i saw you there. heh, i didn’t really want anyone to know about my side gig. lucky for me, the frat likes to have a whole air of mystery thing. they let me wear a hood. i guess i kinda bolted when you noticed me. hoping you wouldn’t recognize who i was. then, when i saw you were having a bad time later? i wanted to get you out of there. i really did. i was going to. but ernie, he uh, told me not to interfere. reminded me of what would happen to my brother and i if i crossed him. sent me off on some meaningless shopping trip. heh, some friend i am, huh?” He didn’t make eye contact as he fiddled with the lid again.

     “Sans, I’m sorry. I had no idea. God, I should have realized something was up. I’m so sorry I didn’t…”

     “oh for crying out loud,” Sans cut you off, squinting up at you with dim lights. He had started to sweat. “jeez. stop with the apologies. you did nothing wrong. i’m the bonehead who screwed up. i’m the one who missed what that asshat was planning for heats. i’m the one who just let one of my good pals be bullied. who didn’t even think about the fact that his brother just might get angry enough to destroy an entire frat house. he could have done it easily. he almost did. i screwed up. big time. to the point where i don’t even think an ‘i’m sorry’ can even begin to cover it.” He looked down at his bottle again, fiddling with the lid.

     “It’s not your fault,” you told him. “You got caught up in something awful. Ugh, that Ernie. Never have I wanted to punch someone in their face so badly as I do right now.”

     “please don’t,” Sans said, looking back up at you. “heh, as amusing as that would be to watch. not worth it. do me a favor and just stay away from him. keep paps away from him. luckily he was too drunk and busy fighting some other guys to notice paps last night.”

     “Not worth it? You think I’m just going to let him keep using you like this? What he’s doing is wrong! If your brother knew about this…”

     “ok, time out. you can’t tell paps about this. you can’t tell anyone about this.”

     “What?! Oh no. No, I’m not helping you hide this!”

     “really? so you just, what? gonna stroll into paps’ room and tell him everything. or maybe you tell alphys or undyne and they tell him instead. how well do you think that will go? you saw how well he handled you passing out last night. it wasn’t pretty. i’m sure it was even less pretty after you all left. i know my brother. you can’t just tell him stuff like this.”

     “TELL WHO STUFF LIKE WHAT?” Papyrus said, standing in the hallway, yawning and rubbing at his eye sockets with his fist.

     You and Sans froze, staring at Papyrus as he started to look back and forth between the two of you, confused.

     “Uh… Um… Oh! T-tell you stuff like the fact that some grocery stores have had to recall a bunch of noodles recently,” you supplied quickly.

     “What?” Papyrus asked and Sans looked at you, sweating nervously.

     “Ah.. Haha… Yeah. S-seems they were… Impastas,” you finished, offering what probably looked like a very fake smile to Papyrus.

     “heh… heh… um, good one…” Sans said, as he took another long drink of BBQ sauce.

     Papyrus gave you a stricken look. “That Was Just… Bad. On Multiple Levels.” Ah, crap. He knew something was up and saw your obvious attempt to cover it up for what it was.

     “so um, would you say that joke was in poor taste?” Sans continued, trying to distract him. It wasn’t very affective.

     Papyrus didn’t respond at first, searching your face while you stared down at your hands. He took a breath, fixing his face into a fake grimace. “OKAY. NYEH, SANS, IT IS TOO EARLY FOR PUNS,” he deadpanned to his brother, obviously just going through the motions. Then to you, “HUMAN… I WILL BE BACK IN MY ROOM. YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANTED TO COME TALK TO ME. AUDIBLE WINK. HINT. HINT.” He then stalked back to his room and closed the door behind him.

     Sans let out a breath he’d been holding and took out his handkerchief, wiping his forehead. He lowered his voice. “heh. well, anyway. seriously. it isn’t your place to tell him what’s going on with me. so just don’t.”

     “Only if you promise you will,” you whispered back. “You need to stop treating your brother like he’s a child! And this side job with Ernie has to stop! It’s not good for you.”

     “yeah, fine. ok. i promise i will eventually tell paps about this and i will find a way out of it.”

     “Eventually?!” you whisper-squeaked.

     “listen, buddy. that’s all you’re getting out of me today. i’m tired. i’ve got to work later. i’m going to sleep. go spend some time with my brother.” And with that, he hopped off the sofa and ambled off to his room.


	22. Still Friday, 11/01/20XX:  Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, you can all have this early again. I mean... uh... taa daaa! ... *gets distracted watching Star Wars on blu-ray*
> 
> Warning: Cursing. Um... death threats?

Still Friday, 11/01/20XX

     And here you were again. Just you and your guilty conscience. Grabbing the bottle of BBQ sauce off the table, you walked over to put it away in the fridge. You didn’t want to lie to Papyrus. Again. Or skirt the truth or whatever. It was the same thing! And weren’t you always telling him to be honest with you? You really didn’t like what was going on with Sans and Ernie. At all. You had to figure out what to do about it. How to stop it. Without putting either brother in danger of losing their jobs. What would they do if they did? They wouldn’t be able to afford their home or the car. You didn’t think you could handle this issue alone. Though Sans had finally opened up to you and told you what was going on. You knew how rare that was for him. He had asked you not to tell anyone else. You couldn’t betray that trust now. Argh! What were you supposed to do?

     You stood outside Papyrus’ door and knocked quietly. He opened it, looking down at you uncertainly.

     “Hello skeleton,” you said, looking up at him and forcing a smile.

     He smiled a little, looking down at you. “Hello Human.”

     Silence stretched between the two of you. Why did he seem uneasy? He was sweating and fidgeting with his hands. Had he heard you and Sans? What were you going to say if he had? Could you really lie to him?

     “Human, You Look… Troubled. It Has To Do With Last Night, Huh? Last Night… I Um… I Was… Not Myself… Nyeh… Heh…” He blushed and rubbed the back of his head, looking away from you.

     “Oh god, that’s what you’re worried about?!” Of course it was! Gah, how could you not even realize he’d be embarrassed about breaking down in front of you? “Ah, no! Last night was pretty terrible for both of us! Y-you don’t need to be embarrassed about anything!”

     “I Am Not Embarrassed!”

     “Good! Because there’s no shame in anything that happened!”

     “I AM NOT ASHAMED! THE GREAT PAPYRUS FEELS NO SHAME!”

     There was another awkward pause as you both stared at each other.

     “Haha, um… This conversation… Would sound really weird taken out of context,” you laughed.

     Papyrus let out a sigh, closing his eye sockets and pinching the bridge of his nasal cavity, “I Was Just Thinking That As Well.”

     More silence passed.

     “Did You… Um… Perhaps… Talk To My Brother About… Last Night?” He asked, looking away from you at the floor.

     “Ah, he… He k-kind of knew what had happened more or less…” Not a lie. He did. Arg, but you still felt bad. You rubbed at your right hand and also stared at the floor.

     “That… Does Not Surprise Me. Sans Can Be Almost Psychic When He Wants To Be.”

   “Yeah,” you agreed. Then, “About last night… I don’t think I ever thanked you for bailing me out.” You looked up at him.

     He shifted his gaze from the floor to you, smiling. “You Never Have To Thank Me For That Sort Of Thing.”

     You returned the smile. “Ok… Can I hug you anyway?”

     “Nyeh Heh, You Do Not Have To Ask About That Sort Of Thing Either.”

     Laughing, you closed the distance between you two. You each wrapped your arms around each other as you leaned the side of your face against his chest. He rested his chin on your head and started petting your hair. You could once again hear the low hum of his magic. One of your favorite sounds.

     “Last night wasn’t all bad,” you told him.

     “Hm,” he hummed happily. “No. The Sleeping Next To You Part Was Nice. I Like The Funny Snorting And Mumbling Sounds You Make In Your Sleep.”

     “What? I don’t snort or mumble! That was you! You’re the one who snores!” You pouted against his chest as he chuckled.

     “No. You Are Mistaken. The Great Papyrus Does Not Snore. HE SLEEPS HEROICALLY AND QUIETLY… LIKE A NINJA!”

     “Pfft, ninja. You’re too loud to be a ninja. You’re not quiet at all.”

     “I CAN SO BE QUIET AND STEALTHY! I…”

     You lifted your head and looked up at him pointedly.

     “…OKAY. MAYBE NOT A NINJA. BUT I DO NOT SNORE!”

     “Haha, ok, fine fine.” you agreed, resting your head against his chest again. He resumed petting your hair as you listened to the sound of his magic. “Hm. I really like that sound,” you told him.

     “SOUND?” He asked.

     “The buzzing sound… I assume it’s the sound your magic makes in your chest. Like a heartbeat but a steady sound. It sometimes gets louder and quieter. That sound.”

     His hand stilled and he seemed sort of tense all of a sudden. He swallowed. “What… What Did You Say?”

     You lifted your head to look up at him, confused. He was looking at you with an odd, unreadable expression on his face.

     There was a loud knock at the front door, causing both of you to jump.

     Papyrus blinked and shook his head. “NYEH! WHAT TIME IS IT?” He let go of you to scramble over to look at the wall clock. “OH NO! I AM LATE FOR MY MORNING RUN WITH UNDYNE! I AM SORRY HUMAN, BUT I HAVE TO CHANGE INTO MY APPROPRIATE RUNNING ATTIRE! CAN YOU PLEASE GO LET HER IN? OH! WAIT! I CANNOT GO RUNNING. I HAVE TO GET YOU TO CLASS!”

     “I told you, I’m not going today,” You said petulantly.

     “I DO NOT REMEMBER THIS CONVERSATION AND DO NOT APPROVE! EDUCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT!”

     “Paps, one day of missed classes won’t matter!”

     There was more loud knocking and then Undyne’s voice yelling, “PAPYRUS! What gives? I know you’re home, punk! Your car’s out front! ANSWER THE DOOR!”

     “HUMAN, PLEASE GO ANSWER THE DOOR! WE WILL DELIBERATE OVER YOUR PLANS FOR THE DAY AFTER I CHANGE INTO NOT SLEEPWEAR AND TELL UNDYNE I AM NOT GOING RUNNING!” He huffed as he went back in his room, closing the door.

     You huffed too, and went to answer the door before Undyne knocked it from its hinges. As you opened the door, Undyne opened her mouth like she was about to say something but paused when she noticed you standing there. Her eye widened and her mouth shut with an audible snap. Oh, you were still in your pajamas.

     “Oh.. Haha… M-morning Undyne,” you said as you probably blushed.

     Her face was slowly stretching into a sly grin. “Ah… U-Undyne,” you said, backing up and putting your hands up to shield yourself. “D-don’t do anything…”

     Too late. She charged you, scooping you off your feet as she shut the front door with her foot. Ugh, you couldn’t breath around her crushing hug as she laughed and swung you around. She set you down and proceeded to thoroughly ruffle your hair as you caught your breath.

     “OH, MAN!” She said. “No wonder Paps wasn’t answering his phone!!! BWA HA HA!! Where is that bonehead?”

     “It’s… It’s n-not what…” You stammered.

     “Yeah, yeah. I know, I know! Wait… Didn’t Papyrus have to work last night? He would have just gotten home. Why would you be over?”

     You were looking down at your hand as you rubbed it again. You didn’t want to tell Undyne what happened. How you were bullied and had passed out and Papyrus had to rescue you like some damsel in distress. How embarrassing.

     Papyrus swung open his door. “UNDYNE! I AM SORRY YOU HAD TO WAIT! MY PHONE WAS LEFT IN THE DEN! I OVERSLEPT AND FORGOT BECAUSE… Because… Um…” He paused as he noticed you probably looking uncertain while Undyne had her eye cut at you suspiciously. She turned her scrutinizing glare on Papyrus.

     “Alright, what the hell is going on?” She barked.

     Papyrus cringed and you and he exchanged uneasy looks. “Alright, morning workout cancelled. You two, sit!” She ordered pointing at the kitchen table. You both complied, pulling out chairs as Undyne took a seat on the opposite end, facing you all. “Alright, go on. Spill it.” She ordered you.

     Well, she was really leaving you no choice. Papyrus shrugged and started fiddling with his gloves as you glanced at him. No help there. Sighing, you told her the gist of everything that happened, leaving out the parts about Sans being there and Papyrus’ breakdown. You told her he had left his shift to come get you and then you had just decided to stay over. That was actually more or less true. Papyrus had reached over and squeezed your hand gratefully as you told the last part. Maybe half-truths weren’t always bad.

     Undyne remained calm throughout the story, her mouth in a thin, tense line. As you finished, there was a long pause. Then Undyne calmly nodded, stood up, and declared, “BITCH GONNA DIE!!! I’ve had it with that roommate of yours and her evil boyfriend! OH, THIS ENDS RIGHT NOW!!!”

     “Ah! W-wait!”

     “UNDYNE, LANGUAGE!” You both stood to block her angry path to the door at the same time as Papyrus continued, “WE DO NOT THREATEN VIOLENCE ON OTHERS!” He glanced at you and hesitated, fiddling with his gloves again before continuing. “…NO MATTER HOW UPSET WE ARE.”

     She glowered at both of you, her eye darting back and forth and her ear fins trembling as she huffed and puffed. “Paps, please. I’m not going to actually for real kill her. But she’ll sure as HELL think twice before EVER messing with my two cinnamon rolls again!”

     Cinnamon rolls? “Undyne, I don’t n-need you to fight my battles for me. I can handle this myself. Please let me handle this.” Undyne stared you down, still huffing and puffing.

     “SHE IS RIGHT. SHE AND I WILL GO TALK TO HER ROOMMATE AND WE WILL WORK THIS OUT.”

     “Paps, I meant I will handle this alone. You d-don’t need to fight my battles for me either,” you told him.

     “I WILL ABSOLUTELY GO WITH YOU! I AM NOT LEAVING YOU TO FACE CERTAIN DANGER ALONE! OUT OF THE QUESTION!”

     “Pfft, certain danger. You’re being a little overly dramatic. It’s just Becky. She’s never physically attacked me. Just terrible words. And aren’t you always saying not to let words hurt you? I can handle this myself.”

     “I AM NOT BEING OVERLY DRAMATIC! AND WORDS… IT IS NOT WORDS I WORRY ABOUT. I… I Cannot See You Be Hurt Again. I Would Feel Much Better If You Would Let Me Accompany You When You Do Go Face Your Roommate.”

     “Or,” Undyne said to you, “You could just move in with Alphys and me. We have that spare bedroom.”

     “Guys, I appreciate it. Really I do. B-but Undyne, I can’t just hide from my problems. It’s not healthy. I think you both should go out running like you always do. Paps, we can talk about stuff when you get back.”

     “Yeah, alright punk. Good point. Problems should be faced head-on. But don’t think I’ll forget about ANY of this! I’m going to have a nice long chat with that roommate of yours eventually!” She grumbled.

     You sighed and nodded, knowing she wouldn’t completely back down from this but at least she would be calmer in the future. Hopefully. You really wanted to tell both of them about Sans. Roommate issues were trivial compared to what he was dealing with. Ugh.

     “YOU GO ON AHEAD WITHOUT ME UNDYNE,” He said. Then to you, “I AM STAYING AND GOING WITH YOU TO TALK TO YOUR ROOMMATE.”

     “We’ll talk about it when you get back. Just go, go running like you always do. It’ll be good for you.”

     “NO. IT WILL BE BETTER FOR ME TO STAY WITH YOU.”

     “It will be better for me if you give me a little space for a while,” you said, narrowing your eyes at him. You understood he was probably still feeling a little overprotective of you. But it was starting to get on your nerves. Did no one think you could take care of yourself?

     “I… I WILL GIVE YOU SPACE TO GET DRESSED AND DO YOUR MORNING ROUTINE. BUT I AM STAYING HERE. AND THEN I AM GOING WITH YOU TO THE DORM.”

     Undyne cleared her throat. “I’m… Uh, going to go take that run now. Later, dudes.” She quietly slipped out the front door, shutting it.

     “Fine,” you told Papyrus. “But after you drop me off, I’d like to have the day to myself. Alone.”

     He looked a little stricken at that. Arg, but you really did need some time alone to process everything that happened over the last 24 hours. And you knew you were quickly becoming moody. You didn’t want to snap at Paps. He didn’t deserve that. Deep breath. “Hey,” you continued a little more calmly, “Please don’t be upset. I’m sorry. Thank you for wanting to take me to my dorm and look out for me. But I just really need some time to myself today. Can we still hang out tomorrow like we always do?”

     “Of Course… I Understand. But May I Still At Least Escort You To Your Room? I-If That Is Acceptable To You?” He was fiddling with his gloves again.

     “Yeah, that will be ok. Thank you.”

     You got ready and then both of you headed out to Paps’ car. Even though the sun was well up, it was a lot cooler out than it was the day before.

     You both soon arrived at the dorm and Papyrus once again carried your bag for you. Luckily, he seemed a lot less tense than he was the previous night. Though he certainly didn’t look happy about having to leave you there, he didn’t say anything more about it. Still, you could tell. It made you feel a little guilty, but you really needed some time alone.

     As you unlocked your room door, you were surprised as your roommate literally tackled you, throwing her arms around your and sobbing.

     “Ah… Um… Uh…” You made confused noises as you awkwardly patted her back.

     “Ernie and I broke up!” She sniffled against you before breaking out again in loud sobbing as you continued to awkwardly pat her shoulder. This… Was not what you were expecting. You glanced over at Papyrus who also seemed to be at a loss for words.


	23. Saturday, 11/02/20XX:  Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be working later tonight so I figured I'd get this to you all even earlier. This chapter's a little different. Taken from Papyrus' point of view. Hope you kids have a good weekend! ^-^  
> Warning: Minor violence.

Saturday, 11/02/20XX

     Papyrus was okay. Just great, really. Like always. His human was fine. Later today, he would be seeing her. It turned out that her roommate had ended her dating relationship with Ernie just after the events of the Halloween party. Becky had apologized many times while she cried. When she finally noticed Papyrus standing there though, she had jumped and looked afraid. Being as great as he was, Papyrus had found it best to leave at that point. It would be rude to stand in the way of roommate bonding time. Even though his human had wanted to be alone. And she was not going to be alone with Becky there. And it would have been preferable to stay. But no, the Great Papyrus was not selfish.

     Yes, the Great Papyrus lived up to his title. Ultimately, he had saved his human from hooligans (even if he was a little late doing so). No one had been hurt (even though it was a close call). So what if a few manly tears were shed afterward? Cool people cry sometimes. But it was nice watching her sleep afterward. Watching her mumble and reach out for him as he wrapped her to himself. Her skin was soft and squishy and warm. She snored. She had drooled on him a little. He would never tell her about the drool. Not that it was terribly offensive. It was kind of funny and cute.

     She did all kinds of funny things. Like shed. On more than one occasion he had found her hair caught up in his finger bones. She also blinked. A lot. Several times a minute in fact. Though other humans did that too. His book on humans had said it was so their eyeballs did not dry out. Imagine having to worry about something like that! Sneezing was also a thing and she made a really funny noise when she did it. Like a squeak. It was really difficult not to laugh when she did this. But that would have been impolite.

     Well, besides the physical humany stuff, she had her own fun quirks too. Just before she was about to tell him a particularly awful joke, her eyes would widened a fraction and the corners of her mouth strained not to smile. It was all he could do to pretend to be offended. When he jested her back, she tried to look so shocked or pouty but would ultimately have to hide her smile either in his shirt or behind her hands. She got this funny wrinkle between her eyebrows when she was concentrating really hard, like when she was drawing. Plus, she really did genuinely enjoy pasta!

     Yeah, he knew what he felt for her. Monsters knew these kinds of things pretty quickly as compared to humans. Papyrus also knew he was more emotionally sensitive than most monsters. Though that just made him more cool! All the great heroes were the strong, sensitive types! His feelings were confusing at first because he had never felt that way before. It was baffling why he was getting a stronger and stronger sense of her soul. He could feel it. Hear it. Almost see the glow radiating from her. It was there without him even having to actively try to concentrate on it. And sensing souls had never been one of the Great Papyrus’ many talents before. When he asked Undyne about soul stuff, she had laughed at how ‘innocent’ he was. Sans had made some terrible shoe pun but eventually had helped him figure it all out for himself. Love was what he felt for her.

     But humans needed time to process their own feelings. He was fully prepared to let her take her time. It was obvious she cared about him, even if it was not as strongly as he cared about her. That was okay. But the previous morning, she had basically told him she could hear his soul. When she casually declared that, he had been shocked. She did not seem to know what that meant, thinking it was the sound of magic. But magic did not make a sound like that. Souls did. They changed frequency with mood. However, humans weren’t supposed to be able to sense souls, were they? Did it mean the same thing for humans as it did for monsters? Perhaps human senses were slightly different so they only heard souls? Rather than seeing the glow and feeling them? There was nothing in his book on humans about that.

     “You’re awful quiet this morning,” Undyne observed as she ran, not even remotely winded. Though Papyrus was not winded while running either. He could run all day. Might have to try that sometime…

     “I AM THINKING. ABOUT THINGS,” he answered, as he fiddled with the sweat band around his skull. Not really necessary for its intended purpose, but one must always be dressed appropriately for every occasion. Even running. 

     “Worried about your girlfriend, eh? Good on her roommate for dumping that loser she called a boyfriend. You know, I’m all for the two of us going to have a little chat with that roommate’s boyfriend. Bet he wouldn’t be so keen on bullying others when he’s having to dodge spears and bones.” She grinned evilly and cracked her knuckles, still running.

     “NO. WE CANNOT DO A VIOLENCE. BESIDES, USING MAGIC ON UNWILLING HUMANS IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE BY LAW. AND AS FORMER HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD, YOU ABOVE ALL SHOULD KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF UPHOLDING THE LAWS OF THE LAND.” He gave her his best stern look. She just rolled her eye at him. “BESIDES,” he continued, unphased, “I ALREADY HAVE A PLAN AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED. WORRY NOT. THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT ANYWAY.”

     “Oh? What’s on your mind then. Come on man, spill it!” She nudged his shoulder a little too hard, almost throwing him off balance mid-run.

     “I… WAS WONDERING ABOUT HUMAN STUFF. IF I ASK YOU A QUESTION, YOU HAVE TO PROMISE NOT TO LAUGH AT ME THIS TIME.”

     “What?! I don’t laugh at you! When have I ever laughed at you?”

     “YOU LAUGHED AT ME WHEN I PUT LIMES IN MY EYES TO TRY TO MAKE THEM BISHONEN!”

     “That was funny though!”

     “NOT FUNNY. YOU ALSO LAUGHED AT ME WHEN I WAS FIRST ATTEMPTING TO FLIRT WITH MY GIRLFRIEND!”

     “That was funny too! Haha, I wasn’t laughing AT you.”

     “ALSO NOT FUNNY. AND YOU WERE LAUGHING AT ME BECAUSE I WAS NOT LAUGHING AND YOU WERE AND IT WAS DIRECTED AT ME.”

     “Ngah, fine. I won’t laugh at you. Ask your question.”

     He hesitated. “PROMISE?”

     “I promise. Now are you gonna spill it or am I gonna have to suplex it out of you???”

     “I WOULD PREFER YOU DID NOT… OKAY. UM… C-CAN HUMANS SENSE MONSTER SOULS? AS IN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN HEAR THEM?”

     Undyne stopped running. Gah, Papyrus had to stop abruptly too and jog back a couple of steps.

     “Woah. Seriously? Did she tell you she could hear your soul?”

     “UM… SHE ACTUALLY SAID MAGIC. BUT YES?”

     “OH MY GOD!” She yelled, while grabbing Papyrus’ shoulders and shaking him violently. “You know what this means, right?”

     “UM… M-MAYBE? YES? MAYBE?” He said as stars faded from his vision from having been shaken so roughly.

     “Aw, she loooooves you! OH MAN! She returns your ultimate feelings! This is great!”

     Papyrus was sure his skull was taking on a shade of orange by now. “B-BUT SHE SAID IT SO CASUALLY. I DO NOT THINK SHE KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS. I THINK SHE THINKS IT EQUATES TO THE MONSTER VERSION OF A HEARTBEAT.”

     “Well, then tell her! Wait… Have you told her YOUR feelings yet?”

     “UM… WELL…”

     “WHAT? You haven’t??? Why not? I told Alphys I loved her like the first week we were dating! What’s the holdup?”

     Some human early morning joggers passed and gawked at him and Undyne. Undyne didn’t notice and Papyrus tried to pretend he didn’t either. That happened from time to time.

     “I… UM… WAS WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT! BEING THE SUAVE, COOL DUDE THAT I AM, WHEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS MAKES SUCH A DECLARATION, IT WILL BE IN A GRAND ROMANTIC GESTURE! BESIDES, HUMANS SOMETIMES LIKE TO TAKE SUCH THINGS AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE THAN MONSTERS DO. MY HUMAN SEEMS TO.”

     “Hm… Ok, ok fair enough. I can get behind this. OH! You should totally get all dressed up and have her dress up all fancy too and when you first see her all pretty, FAKE A NOSEBLEED!”

     “…WHAT?”

     “YEAH! I bet ketchup would work…”

     “THAT IS NOT EVEN… WHAT?”

     “OH! Even better! Do the nosebleed thing, but then take her to a haunted hot spring and when she’s all like, ‘Iiiiieee! I’m scared! Papyrus, save me!,’” she raised her voice several octaves and grabbed Papyrus’ arm as she said the last part, “Tell her that you’ll always be there to save her because you love her sooo much!”

     “STOP. THESE… DO NOT SOUND LIKE GOOD SUGGESTIONS AT ALL…”

     “No wait, wait, wait! I’ve got it! Fake an illness and have her come take care of you and make you food and stuff and in a feverish daze, declare your love for her! CLASSIC!”

     “PLEASE STOP. THESE ARE NOT GOOD SUGGESTIONS. I AM GOING TO CONTINUE RUNNING. AWAY FROM YOU AND YOUR TERRIBLE ADVICE.” And with that, he started jogging again. He knew better than to repeat a similar mistake as the pick-up line incident. His human would still tease him with them now and again.

     “BWA HA HA!! No, wait! I’m serious! All the anime chicks dig that kind of stuff!” She said as she caught up to him.

     “CARTOONS ARE NOT A GOOD SOURCE FOR RELATIONSHIP ADVICE. THEY ARE MADE JUST FOR ENTERTAINMENT. FOR CHILDREN MOSTLY.”

     “They are NOT just cartoons! And for the last time, ANIME IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS!!! Your girlfriend likes anime too you know!”

     “I KNOW. BUT SHE DOES NOT TAKE DATING ADVICE FROM THEM. ONLY LITTLE GUPPIES WOULD BELIEVE ANIME CAN BE USED FOR REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!” He grinned and started running faster.

     “You DID NOT just call me a guppy! Oh, we’ll see how much of a guppy you think I am when I get a hold of you! GET BACK HERE!” She clenched her teeth, grinning evilly as she sped up after him.

     Some frantic running, a bodyslam, and a few painful noogies later, Papyrus stumbled in through the front door to his apartment. Correction: he skipped in happily, if anyone ever asked. Shockingly, his brother was awake and rummaging through the fridge.

     “SANS! YOU ARE AWAKE! WELL BEFORE NOON! ON A SATURDAY!”

     “yeah, don’t get too excited bro. just got up to get a snack before i go back to sleep.”

     “OH. I SEE. OKAY…”

     Sans stared at his brother for a few seconds, chuckled, and closed the fridge. “alright bud. let’s go have a sit on the couch. you’ve obviously got something on your mind you wanna talk about.”

     Papyrus grinned and straightened up (when had he slumped?) and eagerly took off for the couch. Sans was smart! And seemed to know a lot about souls. Maybe he could help him figure out some stuff. Hopefully without joking about it.

     “HOW… HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE LOVES YOU?” He asked, wasting no time, as his brother took a seat beside him.

     “aw bro. you don’t even have to ask. you know i love you.”

     Papyrus’ hopes for a serious conversation were dashed to pieces. He frowned. “THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM ASKING ABOUT! PLEASE BE SERIOUS.”

     Sans grinned and started to say something before Papyrus cut him off, “AND DO NOT SAY YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS BECAUSE YOU ARE SANS!!! I HAVE HEARD THAT ONE TOO MANY TIMES!”

     “heh heh, yeah you got me on that one. ok. hm, love, huh? you know this really isn’t my area of expertise. i’m not really into all that mushy stuff.”

     “BUT YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT SOULS! CAN HUMANS HEAR SOULS?”

     “ah, ok. so she told you she can hear your soul. she probably mistook it for something else judging by your confusion. so, what do you think?”

     Papyrus let out a breath. “I Do Not Know For Sure. I Know She Cares About Me. Non-Platonic Relationships Are Kind Of Confusing And Scary Sometimes. Plus The Whole Being A Different Species Thing. Not Always Easy To Figure Things Out.”

     “well, you know what it means for us monsters when we make soul connections. from my observations, humans seem to make the same kind of soul connections too. whether they realize it or not. i’ve seen humans that were so close that they could exchange words just by looking at each other. or seem to sense something’s wrong without even a look. when it comes down to it, humans aren’t too much different than us. you should probably go talk to her about it. tell her how you feel. it’s worked out for you before.”

     “Yeah. You Are Probably Correct,” Papyrus said as he fiddled with his gloves. His brother was right. Talk to her. Such a simple solution. So much easier said than done. He looked up as Sans started chuckling again. “What?”

     “it’s funny. i still remember teaching you how to tie your shoes and keep your shirts from bunching up under your ribs. and now here i am giving you relationship advice. you’ve grown up so fast and become such a cool dude. i’m proud of you.”

     “You Say That Like You Are So Much Older Than Me. We Are Both Adults Now, You Know,” Papyrus mumbled down at his gloves, frowning a little.

     “yeah, well, you’ll always be my kid brother. and i’ll always be proud of you. come here, pal,” he said spreading out his arms.

     Was he offering a hug?  Wowie, a rare display of affection from his brother! Papyrus gleefully took him up on it, grabbing him up and squeezing him. The tender moment was broken by the sound of a loud, rubbery fart as a whoopee cushion was depressed between their two sternums. …Why did he always fall for his brother’s pranks?

     “…YOU DID ALL THAT JUST FOR A WHOOPEE CUSHION GAG, DIDN’T YOU?”

     “heh heh, mostly, yeah,” Sans said as Papyrus frowned down at him, groaning, and placing him back on the floor.

     “YOU ARE THE WORST!” He yelled, while maintaining his frowning.

     “well, i have to be. gotta bring balance to the world somehow what with you being the best.” Sans smiled and stuck his hands in his pockets, heading back to his room. Well, even if his brother did always troll him, he was always there for him. Sans always had shown his affection in odd ways. A lot of people didn’t seem to understand Sans because of it. Papyrus did.

     “Hey Sans,” Papyrus called to his back, making him pause. “I Love You Too.”

     Sans did not turn around. “heh, yeah. um, again with the not into that mushy stuff. anyway, things will work out, bro. good luck.” He raised a hand to wave over his shoulder as he entered his room, closing the door as Papyrus grinned after him.

     A few hours later, Papyrus parked at the school lot. Today was going to be a fun day! Earlier in the week he had discovered yet another pasta-like dish called gnocchi, which was sort of a potato dumpling with sauce. His girlfriend was sure to be as happy about it as he was! He flung his scarf over his shoulder and adjusted his neon shutter shades, making sure the tape was still holding. Check. Squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest, he swung his arms proudly in front of him as he marched his way to the dorm.

     As the elevator door opened to the appropriate floor, Papyrus stopped cold in his tracks. In front of him, in front of his human’s room, Ernie was banging and kicking on the door demanding it be opened. He had a black eye and a healing cut over his lip and his overall appearance was disheveled. Papyrus clenched his hands as he felt magic prickle over his bones. Ernie had not noticed him yet. The room door was secure. Papyrus’ human was ok. He took a deep breath and let it out, pulling off his shades. He approached the angry male human.

     “I Would Advise You Cease Your Door Battery At Once,” Papyrus said evenly and clearly.

     Ernie turned his head, glaring at the tall skeleton. “You,” he growled. “You’re the lover of that bitch who made me look bad! Made me lose my girl.”

     Papyrus clenched his fists harder, narrowing his sockets. “You Are Doing A Very Good Job Of Making Yourself Look Bad, Without Any Help. I Would Advise You Not Use Such Foul Language When Referring To My Human.”

     “Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it, huh?” Ernie said as he shoved him hard against his ribcage. Papyrus stumbled back a bit, surprised by the hatred in that blow. It hurt. A lot. But he was not going to back down. That would not happen. Ernie would not be allowed to hurt his human.

     Before Papyrus could react, several things happened at once. The room door opened. His girlfriend had yelled and latched her hands around Ernie’s arm as he was readying to deliver another blow. Ernie had swung around, shoving her to the ground. She hit the ground hard, her face scrunching in pain from the impact. She was hurt. On the ground. Coughing. Because of Ernie. Something in him snapped. Papyrus was not okay.


	24. Still Saturday, 11/02/20XX: One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... ¬_¬;;
> 
> Warning: violence, cursing

Still Saturday, 11/02/20XX

     You spent all yesterday awkwardly trying to console your crying roommate. It mostly involved sitting and listening and giving the occasional nod. Honestly, you did feel a little bad for her. But you weren’t sad she had broken up with Ernie. She told you that around the time your skeleton man had carried you out, Ernie had been knocked out cold by the pledge he was fighting. The party had started to break up by that point. Becky had tried to comfort her boyfriend when he came to, but he was still drunk and angry and had actually tried to take a swing at her. Luckily, some of the frat brothers had held him back. He blamed Becky for bringing you to the party and ultimately ruining his night. Another friend had to drive Becky home later. She had sent a text message breaking up with him after that. She told you she just couldn’t date someone so violent and cruel. You were surprised when she told you how upset she was that he had tried to hurt Heats and had yelled at you. She had apologized to you many times over that.

     Today, you had woken up before your roommate and showered. You were a little tired. But no matter. Papyrus would be there to pick you up around noon, per usual. You smiled as you thought about him. Though, arg, you had kind of pushed him away yesterday when he was just trying to be protective of you. Today, you would remedy that. Today would be a fun day!

     “You seem happy,” your roommate said to you somewhat gloomily from her seat at her computer. She was slumped over her desk, laying on one arm while she spun her phone on the desk with her other hand.

     “Morning,” you said back to her. Though you felt bad, you didn’t really want to talk to her… But she was sad. You felt sorry for her. “Y-you going to be ok today?” You added.

     “Yeah,” she sighed, tilting her head on her arm to look up at you. “Just like, I dunno, a little bummed, I guess. I’ll be ok. Are you gonna go hang out with… Your skeleton boyfriend? Shoot, I forgot his name again.”

     “Papyrus. Yes,” you answered.

     “That’s cool. Sorry I’m still like afraid of him and stuff. You must think I’m an awful person…” Becky looked down at her desk again as she slowly spun her phone.

     “Ah! N-no… Well I did think that… Ah! B-but you’re not! Um… If it makes you feel better, I’m t-terrified of your ex…”

     “Hee hee. I can imagine. I guess I just never realized how awful he was. I mean, he had all the right qualities. He looks good, he’s rich, he’s powerful… I guess I just didn’t realize what kind of person he was. Maybe I’m just like, a bad judge of character or something? I mean, no offense, but your skeleton boyfriend is pretty terrifying. Especially when he came to get you! He looked so angry and scary! I thought I was going to die! But… He didn’t hurt anyone. And he was so gentle and careful with you when he picked you up. He treated you like you were precious to him. I know it’s weird, but I guess I was kind of a little jealous of that? No one’s ever treated me like that…”

     “I’m sorry,” you said, and you meant it. Truth be told, Paps was the first person to treat you like that. Ever. Did he know you felt the same way about him? Well, you did say something like that when you had first gotten together... You should probably tell him stuff like that more often. But putting your feelings into words was never something you were very good at. How do you tell someone that their very existence in your life changed you for the better? That just having them around makes you feel happy and whole? Without sounding too sappy or weird? Well, for him, you’d figure out something to say.

     You both jumped as there were loud bangs on your door.

     “Oh wow, your loud, scary boyfriend is here,” Becky giggled nervously.

     You hesitated. That knocking… That was not Papyrus’ usual knock.

     “Open the fucking door!” An angry male voice yelled. You knew that voice. So did Becky. You both glanced at each other, eyes wide and afraid.

     Becky swallowed and fixed her face into a frown, walking past you to the door to yell back, “Go away Ernie! It’s over between us!”

     “Da fuck it is! It ain’t over ’til I say it is! That monster loving bitch in there with you? I’ve got some words for her too! Open up this god damned door! Now!” It sounded like he kicked at it from the other side a few times, then it stopped.

     Through the door, you could hear Ernie talking to someone in the hallway. You tentatively pressed your eye to the door peephole and your heart dropped when you saw who he was talking to. Papyrus had just finished saying something when you saw Ernie lunge out and shove him. No! No no no.

     “NO!” You cried, as you flung open the door and grabbed Ernie’s arm before he could hit your stunned boyfriend again. Paps was hurt. He had a hand over his chest and was grimacing before he fixed you with a wide-eyed stare.

     Ernie snarled and flung his arm back, shoving you backwards. You fell hard to the floor landing on your back, the wind knocked out of you. Your vision went fuzzy briefly. After some coughing and a few gulps of air, the world snapped back into focus and Becky had propped you against the wall. She was kneeling beside you staring ahead, her eyes wide and her whole body quivering. The air around you was buzzing angrily.

     A few steps away, you turned to the sound of a loud thud and a strangled, angry yell. Ernie had been slammed into the wall and was now pinned to it, his feet dangling uselessly under him as he cursed and spit like an angry animal. Papyrus stood calmly a few paces in front of him, his left hand over his chest and his right hand raised in the air.  He jerked his right hand back and then pushed it forward, lifting and slamming Ernie into the wall again. His eye sockets were filled with that same, blank look he had the other night at the frat. Except for his right eye socket, which glowed and flickered brightly like fire. His teeth were set in a hard grimace.

     Shit. Shit shit. You struggled to your feet as Papyrus slammed Ernie into the wall again with a sickening thud. Ernie coughed and started cursing at him again between coughs.

     “Paps… P-please stop,” you said shakily as you placed a hand on his shoulder.

     He didn’t even seem to register your presence.  Bones started to materialize beside him as he gritted his teeth. Shit. He couldn’t do that! As much of a jerk as Ernie was, you knew Paps would never forgive himself if he did this!

     You stepped in front of him as his materialized bone attack started to tilt toward Ernie pinned to the wall. You forcefully grabbed Papyrus’s face with both hands, making him look down at you. His entire being hummed as his magic crackled around him. “Papyrus! Stop! Don’t do this! Please!”

     That seemed to work. The orange light in Papyrus’ socket faltered and went out as his bone attack fizzled out of existence. He stared into your eyes, looking wide-eyed and confused all of a sudden. He glanced at his own right hand and then at Ernie still pinned to the wall, who was looking more scared than angry at that point. Papyrus dropped his hand and Ernie collapsed to the ground, catching his breath.

     “I… I’m sorry…” Papyrus said to Ernie. He returned his wide-eyed stare to you while clutching both of his hands into fists as he started to shake. “I… I didn’t mean… I didn’t… I’m… I’m sorry…”

     “It’s ok,” you told him, still holding his face. The tone of his magic was almost deafening. “You’re ok. Everyone is ok. It’s ok.”

     “Da fuck it is. You need to control that pet of yours,” Ernie coughed to you from his spot on the floor. Papyrus flinched, gently pulling your hands from his face so he could straighten up and stand between you and Ernie.

     “You need to shut the hell up,” you warned as you fixed Ernie with an angry glare.

     He ignored you, concentrating on Papyrus who was still looking out of sorts. “Yeah, that’s right. Pet. Like a feral animal that can’t control itself. At least Sans is better trained.”

     “What… H-How… How Do You Know My Brother?” Papyrus asked as he once again raised a shaky hand to hold against his chest. You froze.

     “Seriously?” Ernie coughed again, grimacing and bracing against the wall to stand. “Neither your brother nor your girlfriend told you? Hah, can’t say I’m surprised. Fuckin crazy as you are. Probably afraid you’d go off the handle on them. Your brother works for me. I own him. He respects me. You’d do well to respect me too if ya know what’s good for you.”

     You stood there frozen as Papyrus turned to look down at you, a mixture of hurt and confusion on his face. “You… That… That Is a Lie, Right?”

     You couldn’t look at him. He looked so hurt. Betrayed. You didn’t know what to say. You stared at your hand as you rubbed it.

     Ernie laughed. “Wow. This is beautiful. So much for love and trust, eh? Can’t say I blame her. You’re not a real man. You’re a thing. A monster. I bet she’s secretly afraid of you. How could she ever love you? Wonder what else she’s keeping from ya.”

     “Ernie, like shut up already! You need to leave,” Becky said from behind you. You had forgotten she was there.

     “Oh trust me, sweetheart,” he said. “I’m planning on it. You all are a bunch of freaks! The whole lot of ya! I’m outta here.” He practically hugged the wall as he quickly scooted past Papyrus, trying to pretend he wasn’t afraid of the tall skeleton. Though he didn’t say anything else as he staggered into the elevator and the doors closed.

     Papyrus hadn’t moved or said anything as he just stared at the wall, a hand still to his chest. All three of you stood quietly in the hallway. Eventually, you heard Becky shuffle back to the room and heard the creak of the door closing.

     “Paps…” you started, but he started talking too, still not facing you.

     “You knew about this. About Sans working for Ernie. And you did not tell me. Why?” His voice was strained, almost a whisper.

     “I… S-sans… He asked me not to. It wasn’t my place t-to tell… He was trying to make more money to pay… Pay off the car. It w-was more expensive than he said. Ernie threatened… Sans d-didn’t want you to worry…”

     Papyrus turned to face you, one hand still clutching at his chest and tears in his squinted eye sockets. “And you did not want me to worry either, huh? Wanted to shelter the baby bones skeleton from the harsher realities of the world?”

     “Paps, that’s not…”

     “I have to go,” he said as he looked away from you and started for the elevator.

     “Ah, w-wait!” You said as you grabbed his free arm and halted his movements. “Don’t leave! Please! It’s not like that! L-let me explain!”

     “I am sorry, but I would like to be alone. Please unhand me.” He didn’t look at you, but you could see there were tears sliding down the side of his cheek bones.

     You dropped his arm and he continued to the elevator. Unable to move, you just stood there and watched him go. You continued to stare at the elevator doors long after they had closed. Eventually, you were startled as a cold hand touched your elbow. Becky was standing there, giving you a sympathetic look.

     “Guess we like, both lost our boyfriends this weekend, huh?” She said to you.

     “W-what?” You stuttered. Lost? Did you lose him? Was that it? He was no longer going to be a part of your life? Just like that?

     “Hey, or not! Um… Maybe he just needs to like cool off or something or whatever monsters do? Hey, come back in the room and sit down. Take deep breaths and stuff. I’ll make tea.” Becky gently tugged at your elbow as you followed her, trying to take deep breaths to slow your erratic breathing.


	25. Monday, 11/04/20XX:  Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha... Happy Friday? ^~^;
> 
> Warning: More sad.

Monday, 11/04/20XX

     The rest of Saturday and Sunday may as well have never happened. It was hard to remember what happened anyway. Becky had tried to comfort you. Maybe out of obligation? You hadn’t been in a talking mood and eventually you both lapsed into a gloomy silence. Papyrus hadn’t contacted you. You didn’t contact him. Sans might have texted you once. Maybe Alphys and Undyne had texted you too? You didn’t remember what they said. Did you even respond to any of them? Your nose and throat were both raw and sore. Your eyes felt puffy too and your head hurt. How much had you cried this weekend?

     It didn’t matter. It felt like you were in a constant fog. Like you were watching things unfold around you from outside yourself. Numb. And when you weren’t feeling numb, you were feeling pain and guilt. The numbness was preferable so you tried to block out everything else. But thoughts would creep through the numb fog. Like the look of betrayal on Paps’ face when he found out you had lied to him. Treated him like a child. Just like everyone else. No matter what excuses you had, you had done this. Did he hate you now? As long as he was ok. Was he ok? You wanted to text him. But that might just upset him. He looked so… Hurt… Ugh, stop thinking. Just be numb.

     On the way to your first class you came across the girl that lives across the hall. You should probably learn her name one of these days. The only reason you noticed her was because she had stood in front of you, blocking your path. She looked you over and shook her head while digging into her purse. She pulled out what looked like a cough drop and placed it in your hand. You stared at it. You should probably thank her. When you looked up again she was walking away. The cough drop tasted very un-licorice-like. But it did make your throat feel better.

     Class was ending. Last class of the day. Ah. You had apparently attended all of your classes today. Going through the motions. Like a zombie. There was a small commotion of murmurs outside the class as you packed your bag. You paid it no mind. Nothing mattered to you. Just pack up your bags, go back to the dorm and sleep. That’s all you wanted to do. Sleep. Though you hadn’t even been doing that very well lately. As you exited the class you found the source of the commotion. Sans. Casually propped against the wall with his hands in his hoodie pockets. A bunch of your classmates greeted him, probably recognizing him from the bookstore. He nodded back at them. As he spotted you he used his elbow to push himself from the wall while still keeping his hands pocketed.

     “sup,” he greeted as he looked you over.

     You nodded back at him, surprised he was even addressing you at all, let alone waiting for you outside your class. Part of you expected him to start tearing into you for hurting his brother. Then again, you really didn’t think he would. Were you still friends?  
  
     “you look like hell,” he declared.

     You managed a small smile. “A little harsh,” you said back, remembering when you had had a similar conversation with him. Though now the roles were reversed. He grinned up at you, seemingly relieved. You noticed that actually, Sans wasn’t looking so good himself. He had those dark rings around the insides of his sockets again. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

     “i’m on break,” he told you and shrugged. “wanna, i dunno, go get coffee? or wherever you kids go when you want to have a chat?”

     “Ok,” you agreed. Not like you had other real plans besides sleeping. And if Sans was going to be skipping work anyway, you may as well hear him out. Maybe he was going to yell at you for hurting his brother. Or for ratting him out. At this point being yelled at would be welcome. You felt like you deserved it. Either way you found you were actually glad to see him.

     Since it was still the middle of the day the little local coffee shop was not crowded. You and Sans managed to find a corner where you could talk in peace without anyone bothering you. Sans had actually bought a coffee for himself too. Kind of surprising really. Probably the first time you had seen him with something actually intended to be a beverage. Both of you said nothing for a few minutes as you played with the plastic tab on your coffee lid and Sans slumped in his chair, staring at nothing.

     “H-how is he?” You asked, finally breaking the silence. You stared down at your coffee, twisting it on the little table between you two.

     “well, he worked saturday and last night. works again tonight. when he’s not working, he stays locked in his room. listening to angsty 90s music. not really eating much. kinda refusing to talk to me. had to rely on undyne to get him to say anything. and he didn’t tell her much. enough for me to get a vague picture of what’s going on.” Sans took a sip of his coffee and squinted his eye sockets at it. “ugh, i don’t know how you drink this stuff. it’s awful.”

     “Ah,” you said as you took a small sip of your own coffee. Looking out the window, you saw a cheerful couple walking along the sidewalk hand-in-hand. They were both laughing about something. Looking so happy…

     “listen, kid. i’m sorry. i’m sorry i brought you into this whole mess of me and my issues. i’m sorry i asked you to keep secrets from my bro. i screwed up. again. i didn’t mean for any of this to happen. and i don’t know what’s going to happen from here. no police have been called so far but i wouldn’t put it past ernie to try somethin. i’m keeping an eye on that situation.”  
  
     You winced at that. Oh god, you hadn’t even thought about the fact that Ernie might call the police. It was doubtful they would take the side of a monster over a human.

     “don’t worry about the law thing. i’ve got some plans in place just in case anything happens. the thing that concerns me the most… i’ve never seen paps this upset. and yeah, it’s kinda scaring me. seein him like this… i can’t do this. i’m asking… no, begging you, can you just go talk to him? please?” His voice cracked a little as he spoke.

     You looked up, startled to see Sans losing his composure. He was now squinting down at the table, scraping bony fingers along his temple with one of his hands as he held his mouth in a grimace.

     “I… I don’t think he wants to talk to me, Sans. I’m sorry. I think he would just be m-more upset if I tried. I can’t say I blame him.” You chuckled humorlessly. “I wouldn’t want to see me either. All I tend to give him lately is stress and hurt. H-he deserves better.”

     Sans closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. The front doors dinged as more customers came into the coffee shop. He finally looked up at you again. “you know what? fine. you’re right. he does deserve better.”

     Ouch. You swallowed, not meeting his eyes. You wouldn’t cry. But he was right…

     Sans continued, “if all you can give my brother is stress and hurt, then yeah, he deserves better. too bad, really. shame i don’t know anyone who, i dunno, genuinely makes him happy most of the time. someone who recognizes how cool he is. someone who shares his hobbies and has a similar way of thinking and dealing with the world. someone who gets just as broken up as he does when they both have an altercation. someone who yeah, isn’t perfect but is perfect for my bro. someone who maybe loves him as much as he loves that person. guess i’ll just have to be on the lookout for someone like that, huh?”

     Unsure of what kind of face you were making, you didn’t dare meet Sans’ eyes.

     Sans chuckled. “welp. i can see you aren’t really in a chatting kind of mood after all. guess i should get back to work anyway.” He took another sip of his coffee as you finally looked up at him. “hm,” he said, seemingly inspecting the cup, “this stuff actually might get better with time. guess i should have shown more patience with it, huh?” He grinned and winked at you. “be seein ya, kiddo.”

     And with that, he vanished, taking his coffee with him.

     You spent the rest of the afternoon mostly staring blankly at your computer screen. Originally, you had tried to read manga but your shoujo manga just made you more depressed. Instead, you had tried to draw, hoping that would take your mind off things. It didn’t. And you couldn’t think of anything to draw.

     The door clicked open and Becky walked in, balancing a few grocery bags on two arms as she closed the door with her foot. You got up to help her and she gratefully let you take one of the bags.

     “Hee hee, thanks. I thought you’d be here all moping about and stuff. I’m like totally over Ernie now, but I’ve had a few days. I figured you wouldn’t be over your ex yet, so I went out and got some stuff to cheer you up!” She didn’t notice you wince at the word ex as she rummaged through the bags. “So, I got us a bunch of junk food, some chocolate, and taa daa!” She proudly held up a copy of… Some random cartoon that looked like it was aimed at five-year-olds. “See? I pay attention! I noticed you are all into cartoons and stuff and figured we could like, eat terrible food and watch this.”

     Well… It was a really nice thought. And she looked so proud of herself as she set it up to play on her computer and then literally dragged your chair over next to hers, with you still sitting in it. She had been going out of her way to be nice to you lately. She pulled out two drinks, setting one in front of you and offered you a bag of popcorn, looking at you hopefully. You smiled at her and took a handful.

     The cartoon was awful. Ugh, what were they even teaching children? Something about using your imagination, having good manners… And counting some random bugs or something? There was definitely too much singing and repetition. You could tell Becky was getting extremely bored with it. She kept glancing at you with fake smiles. Alright, you knew she meant well, but you really couldn’t watch any more of this either.

     “Becky… I appreciate t-the thought, but we can stop watching this now.”

     “No way! I know you like this stuff and like I’m trying to be a supportive roomie. It’s… Not completely unbearable…”

     “It is. I’m sorry. Please turn it off,” you said as little colorful blobs started to dance and sing about washing their hands. Your eye twitched. “Please turn it off.”

     “Oh thank god!” Becky declared as she cut it off. “I’m sorry, but like, please tell me you don’t actually watch this stuff.”

     “I don’t. I watch anime. Completely different. Ah! B-but I appreciate the effort! It was really n-nice of you to do all this and try to cheer me up. You don’t have to. I’m ok. If you have something you’d rather be doing, don’t feel like you need to stay here with me out of obligation or whatever.”

     She tilted her head at you. “Seriously? I want to hang out with you and stuff! Well, maybe not watch cartoons, but we could just eat junk food and talk or whatever. Look, at first, ok, I thought you were a complete weirdo. I mean, I still do but maybe in a good way? I know I haven’t always said the nicest things to you or about your friends. But I think it’s kind of cool how you always stick up for them. You’ve always been super nice to me, even when I know I’ve irritated you a lot. I really do kind of want to be your friend.”

     Huh. That was kind of surprising. You were touched by that. Becky was still looking at you hopefully and starting to make a pouty face.

     “Ah! O-of course!” You gave her a real smile. “I’d like that.”

     She giggled and grabbed your hands, swinging them happily. Uggh. You’d really have to talk to her about respecting personal space. Eventually. But yeah, you really wouldn’t mind considering her a friend. She really was a good person deep down…

     “Now that we’re friends and all, you should let me fix your eyebrows for you! I’ve been like meaning to tell you, but they’re really bad! Like monstrously bad! Oh shoot, should I not use monstrously in the negative sense around you?”

     …Even if she did say horrible things.  
  
     Much later that night, you laid awake staring at your ceiling, unable to sleep. Judging by the even breathing coming from the other lofted bed in the room, Becky was asleep. Turning on your side, you tapped your cellphone and squinted at the brightness of the screen. It was late. Papyrus should have been working for a while by now. You missed him. Maybe you could sneak over to the guard shack and check on him. Just to make sure he was ok. Though he had noticed you doing that before. What if he saw you? Would he be even more angry and hurt?

     Ultimately deciding to test your luck, you quietly climbed down and put on your coat. As silently as you could, you snuck out of the room and gently closed the door. Good, your roommate stayed asleep. Making your way down the hallway, you hit the button on the elevator. You’d just go out there real quick, just to make sure he was ok. Then you’d come back up and go to bed. The elevator door slid open and you stopped dead in your tracks. Papyrus was standing there, jolting to a stop just before he ran into you. His eye sockets widened at you as he froze in place. His guard uniform was as neat as always but his eye sockets looked… Empty and darker around the edges. It was hard to explain but his overall countenance appeared almost dreary. You both stared at each other. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but didn’t say anything. You had to say something. Apologize. Anything. But… Nothing came out. The elevator doors closed again on their own. After a few seconds, you heard the elevator going back down to the first floor. You turned and went back to your room. Numb.


	26. Earlier Monday, 11/04/20XX:  Bros

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is written from Papyrus' POV and starts around the same time as the last chapter started. Hope you all enjoy it! ^-^
> 
> Warning: Cursing.

Earlier Monday, 11/04/20XX  
  
     The Great Papyrus… Was not feeling all that great. That morning after work, he had cleaned every square inch of his bedroom and had rearranged all of his books by type and title. While Sans slept (finally), he had done all of the laundry and scrubbed the kitchen counters. Busy things. Things that would occupy his mind and energy. Keep him from thinking about other things. Sleeping was not really an option. Not that he needed to sleep much. Earlier he had texted Undyne canceling their workout. Again. She would have asked him about things he did not want to talk about. Again. He did not want to see or talk to anyone. They would make him think about upsetting things. Not thinking about upsetting things was better. Though he kept thinking about upsetting things anyway and he hated it. His chest hurt.

     Sans had tried to talk to him a few times Saturday. But Papyrus was definitely not in a talking mood. Yes, he was worried about his brother working for such a… Freaking weirdo. And he would address that. Eventually. It hurt that his brother still did not trust him with such information. Sans still tried to shelter him. Sans had lied. Had gotten his human to lie too… It hurt.

     Hurt or not, he would not neglect his guard duties. And he had agreed to work that extra weekend shift to make up for the Thursday night shift he traded. So he worked both Saturday and Sunday night. He would work again that night. Working helped take his mind off things. A little. However, he could not help but to check up on his human during his guard shifts that weekend. Just to make sure she was there and okay and not being accosted by angry, violent humans. One angry, violent human in particular. So there he stood outside her door, just… Listening. Her soul… It did not seem so happy. But he could not face her just yet… So he stood there quietly. Nyeh heh, and she had said he was too loud to be sneaky.

     She had said a lot of things. Like how he could share anything with her (but she could not share everything with him). Like how he was not a child but a man (but she sided with Sans, sheltering him from bad stuff, treating him like a child). And hadn’t he suspected that Sans had not exactly been truthful about how he acquired the car? But she had seemed to have prior knowledge about the car before Sans got it. He did not want to believe she would lie to him. Look down on him. Though maybe she was justified in her thoughts. After all, he had lost his composure and had done a violence. Something not befitting of a great person. And right in front of her. She ultimately had to stop him from doing something he would regret even more than what he had already done. And he did regret it. Ernie’s words echoed in his skull: “Can’t say I blame her. You’re not a real man. You’re a thing. A monster. I bet she’s secretly afraid of you. How could she ever love you?”

     Clacking the carpal bones of his wrists against his temples, he clenched his eye sockets shut. No, he did not want to think about these feelings anymore. Block them out. Think about something else.

     So, after a moment, he gritted his teeth and went to find the smallest scrub brush he could find. The floor boards of his room needed a good scrubbing. And he turned on his angry music, cranking the volume. Loud enough to drown out bad thoughts.

     Much later that night, he was sitting at the guard post. As usual, his coworker was playing on his phone, ignoring Papyrus. His coworker did not take the job of school guard seriously. It had always been up to Papyrus to pick up the slack. That was fine though. As a former almost member of the Royal Guard he was more than capable of handling the duties of guarding one small school. All by himself.

     “I Am Going On Rounds,” he told his coworker as he got up. His coworker did not look up from his phone.

     The night was quiet. Not surprising, being the first Monday after a partying weekend. Though he kind of wished things were busier. It would have kept him from thinking about unhappy things. Like how he had not talked to his human in almost three days. He missed her. Wanted to talk to her… But what could he say? Besides, it was so very late. Maybe he could at least check up on her again… Gah, he was becoming a stalker. He would resist. Just do the usual rounds of the campus…

     A few minutes later, Papyrus found himself in her dorm building taking the elevator to the fourth floor. Just a quick check, just to know that she was still okay. The elevator stopped at her floor and he went to exit… Almost running smack into the very woman he was going to check on. He stopped short. She was staring up at him, wide-eyed and looking all kinds of surprised. Her eyes were puffy underneath and her nose looked raw. Had she been crying? Should he ask her if she was okay? No… She was obviously upset. Tell her he missed her? No… He could have visited her at any time, and she might tell him that fact and the fact that she had asked him to stay when he left before and he did not stay and if she said all that he would not know what to say to that. She was sad and he hated it. He wanted to tell her not to be sad. Wanted to ask her to forget the whole thing with Ernie ever happened and he would do the same. Say something! She was staring at him with wide eyes as if she wanted him to say something. He could do this one thing! Then, the elevator doors slid closed and he stood staring at them for a few seconds. Blinking, he hit the button for the ground floor. He could not do this. Must go concentrate on work. Must not let personal life interfere with his duties. School guards do not cry. Focus, Papyrus. He rubbed at his chest as he steeled himself, making his way to his usual path to do the rounds of the campus.

*************  
Tuesday, 11/05/20XX

     Sans was awake when Papyrus got home from work. Again. Third day in a row he had been up that early. He had tried to talk to Papyrus Sunday morning as he got in but Papyrus had ignored him and had gone to his room. On Monday morning he had again tried and again Papyrus ignored him. Today, Sans did not try to talk. He just sat on the couch, drinking his ketchup. Hm, he was not looking so good. Like he had not slept well in days. And he had to work later that day. This would not do. However hurt he was with his brother The Great Papyrus could not just idly stand by and let him suffer. He would be the bigger skeleton.

     Papyrus took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and marched out in front of Sans, blocking his view of the television.

     Sans started, dropping the ketchup he was holding. Papyrus cringed a little. Ketchup was such a pain to get out of the upholstery.

     “oh, um… s-sup bro?” He righted the ketchup on the floor so it would not spill.

     Papyrus took another deep breath, giving his brother a stern look as he placed his hands on his hip bones. “I Have Decided To Forgive You. For Lying To Me About The Acquisition Of The Car And Your Questionable Supplementary Income Source. I Know You Think It Is Your Duty To Shelter And Protect Me, And You Were Just Doing What You Have Always Done.”

     “is that so? heh, that’s a relief then…” Sans had started to sweat a little, looking at Papyrus apprehensively.

     “I Am Not Finished. I Am Still… Perturbed Over The Fact That You And MY GIRLFRIEND Consorted Together To Deceive Me.”

     “woah, ok, we need to clear something up. i didn’t ‘consort with your girlfriend to deceive you.’ i asked her not to tell you anything about what was going on with the car or me, once she figured it out. on her own. she very reluctantly agreed, on the condition that i promised i would tell you everything and quit treating you like a child. her words. she wanted you to know everything but didn’t want to interfere. that was my fault. and she was, and still is pretty broken up over the whole thing. if you should forgive anyone, it’s her. you have every right to be angry with me.”

     Papyrus’ stern facade slipped a little at that. Oh. She had… Stood up for him? But he was not really angry with her anyway. He could not be angry with her. Hurt maybe, but not angry. He loved her. He just… Did not know what to say after she had seen him be so violent. Just did not want to break down in front of her again. And also he had walked away from her and had not talked to her for three days. She had tried to explain herself and he had just walked away. He walked away again last night. Had been pouting in his room for days. Like a child. A child who could not control his temper. And she had looked so sad and at a loss. Because of him. How could he face her after all that? What could he possibly say to make things better?  Prove that he could handle things like an adult when he had acted like such a child?

     “paps, come on man. don’t make that face. weren’t you in the middle of lecturing me? about what an ass i’ve been? be angry with me.”

     Papyrus rubbed his face, sighing. “Sans, I Am Not Angry With You. And Please Refrain From Cursing.”

     “fuck no. i will say whatever the hell i wanna say.”

     “SANS! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME ANGRY WITH YOU?”

     “if it will keep you from looking so hopeless, yeah. if it will keep you talking to me, yeah. even if you yell. i’d prefer you yell. it’s been so quiet here lately. well, heh, besides the soothing sounds of stabbing westward and radiohead. amongst other whiny artists.”

     Papyrus folded his arms and squinted down at his brother. “I Am Not Looking Hopeless. And I Would Prefer You Do Not Make Fun Of My Music. All The Cool Kids Listen To That Kind Of Music When They Are Feeling… Moody.”

     Sans smiled. “i wouldn’t doubt they do. you’ve always been cool, bro. the one who could bounce back no matter what life threw at him. truth be told, it’s always made me a little jealous. i was happy i could at least look after you. was the only thing i was ever really good at. the one thing i could take pride in. heh, sans, big brother of the great papyrus.” He paused as he pulled his hood down over his face and lowered his head, hiding his eyes. Sans continued quietly, “but you haven’t needed me to look after you in a long time, huh? i just made things worse for ya. i’m sorry, bro. s’ why you should be angry with me. why i don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

     Papyrus stood there shocked as Sans sat there with his face obscured by his hoodie. Sans… Did he really think all that? Papyrus frowned.

     “THAT WAS THE LEAST SMART THING I HAVE EVER HEARD YOU SAY!” He yelled down at his brother. Sans tensed, but didn’t look up. “UNACCEPTABLE! HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT I DO NOT NEED MY BROTHER? THAT ALL YOU ARE GOOD FOR IS LOOKING AFTER ME? THAT YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT THINGS? YOU ARE GOOD AT A LOT OF THINGS! LIKE SCIENCE THINGS! AND PRANKS! AND TELLING… WELL, HORRIBLE JOKES THAT MAKE ME LAUGH EVEN WHEN I DO NOT WANT TO. AND, YES, YOU ARE GOOD AT LOOKING AFTER ME TOO! IF NOT FOR YOU, WHO WOULD READ ME BEDTIME STORIES ON THE NIGHTS WHEN I DO NOT WORK? WHO WOULD GIVE ME ADVICE ABOUT CONFUSING THINGS LIKE SOULS AND RELATIONSHIPS AND ADULT STUFF LIKE PAYING TAXES? I DO NEED YOU. BUT I ALSO NEED YOU TO BE HAPPY!”

     Sans continued to hang his head and did not say anything.

     Papyrus sighed and knelt down in front of him. “Sans. It Is Only Fitting That I, The Great Papyrus, Have An Equally Amazing Brother. And You Are Amazing! Again, I Am Not Angry With You. I Forgive You. And I Love You. I Am Going To Hug You Now.”

     Sans gave a watery laugh. “don’t do it, bro. hugs are gross and awkward and uncomfortable…”

     Papyrus ignored his weak protests and clutched his brother to his chest, even though it still hurt a little. Sans buried his face in his brother’s shirt and returned the hug, no whoopee cushions this time. Things would be okay. Papyrus was done acting like a child. After consoling Sans, he would get the full story about how much was owed on the car and how Sans had been trapped into such deplorable employment. Then he would help Sans figure a way out of it. Even if he had to sell the car. Or take up a second job himself. Also, he was going to make things right with his girlfriend. Because the people he cared about and loved relied on him to be strong. The Great Papyrus could be strong for them. He would just ignore his own hurt and replace it with happy confidence. Like he had always done. He could be an adult. Yeah, he was going to adult the heck out of everything.

     “I Am Pretty Sure You Just Snotted On My Shirt,” Papyrus groaned, as he felt wetness leak through to his collarbone. Yucky.

     “told you hugs were gross. s’not my fault you didn’t listen.” Sans mumbled against his shirt.

     “Your Snot Pun Was Gross. Hugs Are Not Gross. I Will Have You Know I Am A… Bone-afide Hug Expert!”

     “heh heh heh, did you seriously just make a pun?”

     “No. I Think You Are Grasping At Things That Are Not There.” Papyrus gave him a squeeze with his hands on that one, smirking.

     “pfft. guess i just need to get a hold of myself, huh?”

     “Yeah. You Are Really Reaching.”

     “well, i am under a lot of pressure.”

     “You Do Not Have To Try So Hard To Im-Press Me.”

     “but i don’t want to lose my grip of the situation.”

     “Nyeh Heh Heh. Ok. Stop. No More Puns.”

     “sure i can’t just squeeze one more in?”

     “Sans. Stop. This Is Just Getting Awkward.”

     “i dunno, bro. you were all about embracing the puns just a second ago.”

     “SANS!” Papyrus grumbled and went to push his brother away, but was surprised when Sans tightened his grip.

     “um… if it’s ok, maybe give me a few to compose myself? heh, don’t really… uh, want you to see me as, well, a blubbering mess. ok, bud?”

     Papyrus sighed and rested his chin on the top of Sans’ hooded head. “You Know I Already Know You Are Crying. I Am Not Completely Unobservant, Contrary To Popular Opinion.”

     “yeah, i know. but let me at least sort of maintain some shred of my lazy, indifferent persona, alright?”

     “Nyeh Heh… Why Do We Do That, Sans? Put On Fronts And Hide What We Are Really Feeling Sometimes?”

     “i dunno. lots of people do that. pride, i guess?”

     “Hm, True. We Skeleton Brothers Are A Proud Bunch. Intelligent, Cunning, And Brave. These Qualities Are Great Enough Without Adding Sensitive To The Mix. Probably Best To Hide That. Good Thinking. We Are Doing The World A Favor By Not Broadcasting That, Huh?”

     “it’s a service, really.”

     “Agreed.”

     “…so uh, we won’t mention this ever again, right?”

     “The Hugging Or The Crying?”

     “both… but we’re still cool now, right?”

     “Okay. And Yes, We Are. But We Are Still Going To Discuss Finances And Your Questionable Employment Choices. Like Adults.”

     “ok. heh, like adults.”


	27. Tuesday, 11/05/20XX:  Girl Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a lovely week and will have an even better weekend! Next chapter will post Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, 11/05/20XX

     The alarm went off on your phone. Ugh, and you had finally just fallen asleep. You didn’t want to think about the reason why you couldn’t sleep. But whatever, you still had to do that thing called life. So you showered. Got dressed. Had a granola bar for breakfast. Grabbed your book bag. Headed out to start classes. Sat through said classes. Ignored the few concerned looks from a few of your classmates. Did you look that bad? Oh well. Got through all classes. Went back to the dorm room. Crawled back up into the lofted bed. Stared at the ceiling.

     Yeah, you were still not feeling like doing anything. Kind of feeling like garbage. You should probably get over that feeling. Think about things rationally. Like… Why did Paps even come up to your floor the previous night? Did he initially plan on talking to you? Or was he just checking on you like you were going to check on him? Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t you? You really missed him and wanted to talk to him. How could you even go about apologizing for what you had done? Would he even want to listen? But the fact that he had come up to your floor that night meant he didn’t hate you. Otherwise he would just be avoiding you. That was something at least.

     Ugh, moping about was getting old and getting you nowhere. Anime club was going on tonight and you should go hang out with your friends. You missed them. And you felt bad you had been neglecting them. Tonight you would go see them. And after, if Papyrus happened to pick up Alphys and Undyne, maybe he’d be willing to talk to you. Let you apologize. Even if he was still angry with you. Hm, you wondered if Alphys and Undyne were angry with you too. From what Sans had said you knew Undyne had a good idea of what was going on. So Alphys probably did too. And you hadn’t answered the texts from them. It would make sense if they were upset with you, for ignoring them and for hurting Paps. Maybe you should avoid anime club after all?

     Ultimately you decided to go. No more avoiding things. No matter what happened. Nothing would progress in your life with anyone if you just stayed in your room. Apologies were owed. Plus you really did miss your friends. You had been kind of isolating yourself from everyone for the past few days except for your roommate (who kind of lived with you so impossible to avoid). Deep breaths. You could do this. No matter the outcome. Even if they were mad at you.  
  
     You made your way to the elevator. As you got outside, you were startled as you were immediately charged and snatched up into a headlock by Undyne.

     “THERE you are! What the hell, punk? You don’t answer me or Alphys’ texts and ignore us for DAYS? I DON’T THINK SO!” She delivered a somewhat painful noogie to you. For once you were actually happy about it.

     Alphys hurried over, gently pulling on Undyne’s arm. “S-sweetie, we talked about this! We were going to handle this d-delicately, remember?”

     You struggled to keep your balance as Undyne, keeping her hold around your neck, wheeled around to face Alphys. “I AM BEING DELICATE! I wanted to drag Paps here and shove the both of them in a closet until they talked to each other. But nooo, we had to handle this delicately! THIS IS ME HANDLING THIS DELICATELY!” She suddenly rotated you in her grip and you yelped as she hoisted you up to her eye-level. “Listen up, punk! I know you’re all sad and junk because you and Paps fought. He’s sad too. Alphys and I gave you all some space for a while. But you both need to get over whatever this is and make up! NOW!”

     Alphys again pulled on Undyne’s arm. “Can we p-please stick to the original plan? Talk s-somewhere less public?” She nervously glanced around. You all were getting some interesting looks by the people passing you by. Undyne finally noticed too.

     “Fine. Is that pain-in-the…. Er, roommate of yours home?” Undyne asked as she draped you over her shoulder, accidentally smacking you in the face with one of her ear fins in the process.

     “Ah… N-no. Becky’s not back yet. Um, h-hi by the way…” You were resigned to the fact that Undyne was probably not going to put you down any time soon. Alphys smiled sympathetically and waved at you as Undyne wheeled around in the direction of the dorm doors.

     “FANTASTIC! We can do the girl talk thing there!” She practically jogged over to the elevators bouncing you on her shoulder the whole way as you helplessly watched Alphys try to keep up.

     Undyne finally put you down after almost smacking your head against the corner of the elevator doors. She grinned at you apologetically as Alphys low-key tried to catch her breath after running after you all. You were just happy they didn’t seem angry with you. Sheesh, if anything, it seemed like they were worried. You were so happy and relieved you almost cried.

     As you approached your room, the girl from across the hall started to exit hers with a towel, looking like she was going to go shower. She stopped abruptly when she saw you three approaching and looked… Startled for once, almost dropping her towel. Huh. You had never seen her emote much beyond a raised eyebrow. Before Alphys or Undyne could notice her, she slowly and stiffly walked backwards into her room and gently closed the door. Ah well. Chalk it up to her eccentricity.

     You went to go pull out your chair for Undyne but she just shoved you into it instead as she went to sit on the sink counter (not like she had to really hop up to it or anything, tall as she was). Alphys settled into your roommate’s chair.

     “Alright, punk, now that we’re away from prying eyes, we need to come up with a battle plan! I got Papyrus to fill me in on some of what happened and picked up and shook… Er, convinced Sans to tell me the rest. So two things need to happen! First, you and Paps talk about your feelings or whatever and go back to being the disgustingly cute, snuggly couple you were. Then, we…” Undyne looked over at Alphys who nodded at her. “Ngah, nonviolently get Sans out of his situation with Ernie and make sure he never threatens you all again. Though I still think we should at least scare this Ernie jerk so bad he pisses his pants,” she grumbled and folded her arms.

     “T-then maybe we can convince Sans to let us pitch in for the car. Though we have t-tried several times before.” Alphys added.

     They both looked to you for your input. Ah man, you were a little overwhelmed by their supportiveness. They were such good friends! Even after you had neglected them for days. And they were trying to give you hope that Papyrus still wanted to be with you. Ah crap, now you were crying. You wiped at your eyes but the tears wouldn’t stop.

     “Shit! We… We made her cry! Alphys, do something! This is your department!” Undyne looked horrified and at a loss as she leapt from the counter, hesitating approaching.

     Alphys stood up sighing and approached you. “These are n-not sad tears, are they?”

     You shook your head. “N-not entirely,” you sniffled.

     “Then d-do you need a hug?”

     You cracked a small smile and nodded.

     Alphys wrapped her arms around you and rested her chin on your head as you leaned forward to return the hug. Heh, sitting height worked better for Alphys hugs.

     You heard Undyne approach too. “Alright punk, quit hogging my girlfriend. Alphys, quit hogging our friend. I’m um… Getting in on this too.”

     Both of you giggled as Undyne wrapped you all into a group hug.

     “Alright, good.” Undyne pulled away and awkwardly patted your head as you and Alphys separated. “Now that we got that girly mushy junk out of the way, let’s talk about the other girly mushy junk. Like you and Paps FRIGGIN TALKING TO EACH OTHER!” She glared down at you with her one good eye as Alphys shuffled back to her chair.

     You sniffled and wiped your eyes, composing yourself once again. “I um… a-appreciate what you all are trying to do. You are good friends. I agree we d-do need to come up with a battle plan for Sans’ situation. As for Paps… I don’t know if he even wants to talk to me…”

     “Seriously?” Undyne continued to glare at you before throwing up her arms in exasperation. “OH MY GOD! Just because you have ONE FIGHT you think he wouldn’t ever want to talk to you again? NGAH! You and Paps are both SO CLUELESS when it comes to relationships!!! Do you even know how many times Alphys and I have fought?”

     “A few times,” Alphys piped in.

     “Yeah. A few times,” Undyne said. “Like the time she got all mad at me when I tried to make s’mores.”

     “Y-you used my welding torch and got burnt marshmallows all over it!” Alphys squeaked.

     “I was trying to SURPRISE you!” Undyne shot back.

     “The burnt countertop was certainly a surprise…” Alphys added.

     “Ugh, whatever,” Undyne grumbled.

     “Well, I’m n-not the only one that gets m-mad! What about the t-time you yelled at me when I was afraid to apply to the c-college?” Alphys had leapt to her feet to go stand in front of her girlfriend who was now glaring down at her.

     “I wasn’t yelling at you! I raise my voice all the time! IT’S NOT YELLING IF THAT’S HOW I NORMALLY TALK!”

     “Y-you threatened to throw me in the trash… Again!”

     “You needed MOTIVATION!”

     “You d-don’t motivate someone by saying that the trash can will be their new home from now on!”

     “YOU APPLIED AND GOT ACCEPTED, DIDN’T YOU???”

     “Ah, ok s-stop!” You said, jumping up and holding up a hand in front of each monster. “I get it! I’ll t-talk to Papyrus! Please, d-don’t fight.”

     Alphys gave you a surprised look that quickly turned to an amused snort as she threw her hands in front of her snout.

     Undyne blinked down at you and then threw her head back laughing uproariously and clutching her sides. “BWA HA HA! Dude, we’re not fighting! We’re bickering. Besides, the whole point is that couples fight! It happens when you feel passionately about someone! So yeah, ok, you both hurt each other. It happens. That doesn’t mean you just give up on the relationship just because things got a little tough! You must fight passionately for the things you want in life! Isn’t Papyrus worth fighting for?”

     She was right. Ah man, she was right. You did feel passionately about that amazing skeleton. And he was definitely worth fighting for. You nodded. Yeah, you were going to apologize and find a way to make things up to him. Let him know how great he was and how much you respect him. Let him know how you felt about him.

     “Hm. Hm. Good. From that look, it seems like you get it. Moving on, Sans,” Undyne nodded as she patted your back a little too hard, as always.

     “Too bad w-we don’t have any ammunition to use against Ernie. Maybe something to take to the dean to show he’s anti-monster and his word against Sans and Papyrus and their employment at the school shouldn’t b-be trusted?” Alphys said.

     There was a light knock at the door and Becky tentatively opened it, peeking in. She was looking a little pale and hanging back in the doorway. “I um… Couldn’t help overhearing… Ok, so I was totally eavesdropping because I didn’t want to come in. I’m like sorry and stuff but your monster friends are scary,” she looked at you apologetically. “Anyway, I may have something that might help.” While maintaining her distance, she shakily held out her cellphone to you. You took it, noticing a video waiting to be played on the screen.

     As you all watched it, Undyne growled and Alphys put a hand on her arm, frowning at the screen herself.

     “D-did you record this?” You asked your roomie.

     “No way! My friend did! She like sent it to me after the fact. I guess I like kept it to remind myself what a jerk he was so I wouldn’t be tempted to go back to him? Though, I totally wouldn’t anyway at this point.”

     “C-can I have a copy of this?” Alphys asked.

     “Oh! Um, like sure I guess…” Becky replied as Alphys took Becky’s phone from you. She took out her own phone and started looking back and forth between the two tapping buttons with her thumb on each at the same time.

     Undyne was staring Becky down and looked to be debating something. Ah, you didn’t want your roommate and her to start misunderstanding each other! “Ah, um… Y-you all haven’t met yet!” You started, motioning at Undyne and Alphys in turn. “Becky, this is Undyne and Alphys. Undyne and Alphys, Becky.”

     Alphys smiled and nodded, handing Becky’s phone back. “Ehehe, th-thank you. Nice to meet you.” Becky took her phone back quickly, maintaining her distance with you placed in between her and your monster friends.

     Undyne gritted her teeth and looked like she was about to say something but looked down in time to catch your pleading look. She sighed and was about to say something else when her phone made what sounded like a sword clashing noise. Taking her phone out of her pocket and grinning at the screen, she typed something back and declared, “Well punk, looks like it’s time for us to head out!”

     “H-head out? It’s not even eight yet! W-were we going to go catch a few episodes of Mushi…” You started to ask but Undyne cut you off.

     “Nope! You’re staying here! Alphys and I are leaving!”

     “W-we are?” Alphys asked.

     “Yup! I got us a ride home with Oober! It’s like a taxi service! Should be FUN! But we have to go! NOW!” Undyne turned to your roommate. “You! Um… Come out to the hallway for a sec. I have something to say to you! Real quick!”

     Becky turned to you paling again and you were about to intervene when Undyne declared, “OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I DON’T BITE! AND WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! She took out her phone, quickly typing something and then held it in front of Becky’s face, inches away. You couldn’t see what was written.

     Becky flinched back and then looked at the screen, her eyes widening as she read. “Oh. Oh! Um… So like yeah. I’m gonna… Go out and get dinner! I’m like famished all of a sudden. Hee hee, um… Later!” She turned around and practically bolted through the door.

     “GREAT! We’re out too! See ya punk!” Undyne scooped Alphys into her arms and also headed to the door.

     “W-what are…” Alphys started.

     “I’ll tell you later,” Undyne murmured back as they also left, the door clicking closed behind them.

     You were left staring at your door as what felt like several minutes passed. Ok. That wasn’t at all suspicious. Or obvious. Your heart had started hammering in your chest as you stood rooted in place, still staring at your door. Undyne… Did she really…?

     There was a familiar tapping on the other side of the door. You swallowed. Yup, she really did. Breathe. This was ok. You were planning on talking to him anyway. You could do this.

     With trembling hands (gah, why were your hands shaking?), you slowly opened the door.

     Sure enough, Papyrus stood there staring down at you. “Hello Human… We Need To Talk.”


	28. Still Tuesday 11/05/20XX:  Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter. I'll post this a little early to make up for it. Deal? ;)

Still Tuesday, 11/05/20XX

     As Papyrus stared down at you, you noticed little beads of perspiration dotted his skull. His overall appearance was quite haggard save for his nice clothes. Seemed even when upset, he still made sure that his wardrobe didn’t suffer. Whether it be his self-made shirts or not. Today just a simple collared shirt, shorts, and of course scarf and gloves. He went to stick his hands in pockets that apparently weren’t there. Then he went to fold his arms and seemed to change his mind and decide to place his hands behind his back. Seemingly changing his mind again, he placed his hands at his hips. Fidgety. He stared down at you with furrowed bone brows as if waiting for something.

     Oh! Ah geez, you hadn’t said anything yet! “Ah! H-hello. I… I mean, hello skeleton… B-because that’s what I say back. R-right? Ah! D-don’t answer that! That wasn’t a r-real question… It was… Um… That word… Oh! R-rhetorical. That was a rhetorical question I think… Ahaha, I’m rambling. Talk! Yes, w-we should talk! H-how are you?”

     “I Am Okay…” He answered. “Um… You?”

     “I… Um… H-have been better I guess? Ah! I mean… I don’t know what I mean…” Breathe.

     He continued to stare at you uncertainly, opening and closing his mouth again and scratching the back of his head.

     “Oh! Ack, y-you’re still out in the hallway and you came all this way and I haven’t invited you in! C-come in!” Breathe.

     You stiffly stepped aside as Papyrus ducked through the doorway kind of frowning now. Oh no, had you upset him again? What had you even said? Why was he here now when you hadn’t even planned what you were going to say? What could you say? You just had this one chance to make things right and his frown was deepening as he looked down at you and he was going to just turn around and leave again and you had to think of something better to say to keep him from leaving and…

     “Do… Do You Want Me To Leave?” He said, concern lacing his voice as he fiddled with his gloves.

     “W-what? I d-don’t…That’s n-not…” You squeaked. Breathe.

     “B-Because I Thought We Could Maybe Talk But You Do Not Seem Comfortable With Me Here And You Seem Agitated And I Do Not Want You To Be Distressed Because Of Me…”

     “N-no! I’m not! J-just don’t leave! Please! I… I want to t-talk! I’m glad w-we’re talking! I just d-don’t want to make you even more angry or upset or have you h-hate me…”

     “WHAT?! I DO NOT HATE YOU! I COULD NEVER… HOW… I WAS NEVER ANGRY WITH YOU! MAYBE HURT BUT… I JUST DID NOT… THIS… This Is Not What I Wanted To Say. Allow Me To Start Over.” He closed his eye sockets and took in a deep breath.  Dropping his hands to his sides, he let out his breath.  Opening his eye sockets again, he replaced his frown with a serious, determined look. “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE COME TO FORMALLY APOLOGIZE FOR MY ATROCIOUS BEHAVIOR. I DEEPLY REGRET… DOING A VIOLENCE, NO MATTER THE REASON AT THE TIME. FURTHERMORE, I REGRET BEING VERY… IMMATURE IN MY HANDLING OF THE WHOLE SITUATION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM YOU… TWICE, WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING. I SHOULD NOT HAVE AVOIDED YOU. IT WAS VERY CHILDISH OF ME AND I AM VERY SORRY AND WILL STRIVE TO BE A MORE MATURE SKELETON ABOUT THINGS IN THE FUTURE. PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGY.”

     You blinked at him. He held his serious expression but there was still sweat dripping down his skull. Seemingly subconsciously, he was tightly clenching his hands at his sides. Was he really… Apologizing? To you? And with a speech he had obviously rehearsed? But you were the one who had messed up! Not him! And now he was trying to take all the blame?

     “No,” you told him.

     His sockets widened, his stern facade slipping. Clearly, he was not expecting that. “N-no?” He repeated.

     “No. I don’t accept your apology because you shouldn’t even be apologizing! I’m the one who hurt you! I’m the one who needs to apologize!”

     “You Are Wrong. I Am Not Hurt.” He gave you a fake smile. “I Talked To Sans. He Explained Everything to Me So I Now Know The Whole Story. So Therefore, No Apology Is Needed On Your Part. I Have Told You Many Times That Mere Words Do Not Hurt…”

     “Words do hurt, Papyrus. And sometimes the lack of words hurt too. I hurt you by keeping things from you. I know I hurt you and I’m really sorry! If I could take it back, I would. But you… It’s ok to feel hurt!”  
  
     His fake smile dropped. “Wait…”

     You continued, undeterred. “You’re allowed to feel hurt! And you’re allowed to react when you’re hurt! That doesn’t make you immature or childish or any of that nonsense!”

     “Do Not…” He put his palms up toward you raising his bone eyebrows, looking worried, but you cut him off.

     “I won’t let you just pretend you are ok and that everything is ok just to make me happy!”

     “Stop…” He was looking distressed.

     “You’re still hurt! I can tell. I know what you’re doing. So don’t just try to take the blame for everything and burry own feelings like they don’t even matter!”

     “STOP! Please… Stop. This… This Is Not How This Conversation Was Supposed To Go!” He gritted his teeth, staring at the floor and rubbed at his chest.

     Ah, you were right. He was still hurt. Apparently physically too. Did you go too far? But he would have just pretended everything was ok like he always did and hidden how he was feeling. That was not ok. But now he was struggling to maintain his composure. You wanted to reach out to him, but didn’t know if he would pull away. You couldn’t start crying either. What else could you say, though besides sorry? It didn’t seem to be enough.

     Papyrus spoke up again, still staring at the floor. “…Can… Can We Please Just Forget Any Of This Happened? Please? I Do Not Like This. I… I Do Not Want To Be That Person.”

     Taking your chances, you reached out and gently placed your hand over his hand on his chest. He startled slightly, gasping, and turned his head to look down at your face. “I’m sorry,” you repeated, staring at his hand as you gently rubbed it with your thumb. “I can’t forget about this. I don’t want to. Because I hurt you. I never want to make you feel that way again if I can help it. And that person you don’t want to be? That person is a good person.”

     “…But that person lost control and attacked someone. Hurt him…” Paps whispered down at you.

     “Yeah. But that person was just trying to protect me after I was hurt. We were both hurt by that… Jerk. You made a mistake. Even good people make mistakes. It didn’t seem like you injured him all that much anyway. It’s ok.”

     “It is not okay. Mine were not the actions of a good person. I hurt you too. I hate it that I made you sad. I am sorry I made you sad. I am sorry I got upset…” He sniffled.

     “Paps, being upset doesn’t make you a bad person. God, you probably felt like… Like I was looking down on you. Please believe me when I say nothing could be further from the truth. You… you are an amazing person! You don’t make me sad. I was sad I hurt you. You make me happy. Whole. I missed you so much these past few days.” You swallowed. “I know I don’t tell you these kinds of things enough. That person you don’t want to be? I love that person. You. I… I love you.”

     Well, you just kinda blurted all that out. But as you looked up, you saw him staring back at you with that complex expression again. Papyrus reached out to cup your face with his other hand and that louder low magic tone was back. But it did not seem angry this time. Oddly enough, it seemed to have a different sort of feeling to it. Several in fact, all mixed together and shifting… Multifaceted. Turbulent. Excited. Vulnerable. Scared. Overjoyed. How… How did that even work? How could a sound have so many feelings? …What exactly were you hearing? Did he tell you he loved you out loud? You felt like you heard it. Somehow, you knew. You both knew. And now you had wrapped your arms around each other and he was leaning down to press his forehead to yours. There were tears on your face and you weren’t sure if they were his or yours or both. It didn’t matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, this story is gonna be ending in a few chapters. Heh, it actually went a lot longer than I initially thought! Thank you all again for sticking with it! =)


	29. Still Tuesday, 11/05/20XX:  Fluff

Still Tuesday, 11/05/20XX

     “Paps, can I pwease haf my fwace back?” You mumbled as your cheeks were smooshed together by bony fingers to make what probably looked like a ridiculous fish face.

     Papyrus grinned down at you as he continued to play with your face, “Nyeh Heh Heh. Nuh Uh.”

     Your silly smitten skeleton hadn’t stopped either hugging you, holding your hands, or touching your face since your conversation earlier that evening. Despite the fact that you all were supposed to be watching a movie. Come to think of it, he probably hadn’t broken physical contact with you since you blurted out that you loved him. Though secretly, you really didn’t mind. Which was why you were now laying in his lap on the couch at his apartment while he played with your face. Once again you were going to stay the night, scandalous as that was. Sans was out (probably purposely giving you all space).

      You gave him a look as he pinched your nose and he laughed again. “Do Not Give Me A Look Like You Dislike This. I Know How You Really Feel.”

     “And how is that?” You asked in a nasal voice, earning another laugh from Papyrus.

     “YOU ARE COMPLETELY ENAMORED WITH ME! BUT WHO COULD BLAME YOU? I AM PRETTY GREAT! AND ENDEARING! WHO COULD RESIST THE CHARMS OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS?”

     You rolled your eyes. “Oh boy. I think I’ve created a…er…”

     “NYEH HEH HEH HEH! A MONSTER? AFRAID NOT, DEAR HUMAN. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE COOL MONSTER YOU HAVE HERE BEFORE YOU! AND YOU, MY HUMAN, ARE COOL TOO! AND I LOVE YOU AND YOUR FUNNY PLIABLE FACE!”

     Cracking a smile, you poked your finger up at the top of his nasal bone which earned scrunched eye sockets and a snort from Papyrus. It wasn’t fair, really. Not like you could squish on his face. But as much fun as you were having, you were also still worried about him. Earlier while you all were talking he was rubbing at his chest. Later when you had hugged him and had laid your head against his chest, he had flinched a little. How badly had he been hurt when he was hit? Shouldn’t he have healed by now? Had he been taking care of himself the past several days? Ugh, you didn’t want to ask him all those questions. He might take it the wrong way, think that you’re babying him and get upset again. And things were just starting to go well between you two.

     His smile dropped a little as he placed a hand along the side of your face and rubbed the furrow between your brows with his thumb. Hm, you were probably frowning.

     “Are You Uncomfortable On My Bony Legs? Do You Need A Pillow?”

     “No! I’m comfortable.” You smiled. “Just thinking. Don’t worry about it.”

     “Talk To Me,” he insisted, his tone now serious.

     Ah crap, of course he noticed your worry. You swallowed, stuttering, “I… I’m just w-worried. About you. Ah, I know y-you don’t like it when I worry over you. But I also don’t want to keep things from you ever again so… Um… Y-you still seem to be injured. Your ribs.”

     “Oh, That. Nyeh, I Am Fine. Do Not Worry Over That.”

     “But shouldn’t you have healed by now if it wasn’t so bad?”

     “I AM HEALED… MOSTLY.”

     “Let me see then.”

     “HOW VERY FORWARD OF YOU! IF YOU JUST WANTED TO GAZE UPON MY MUSCULAR BODY, YOU DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE A PRETENSE!” He grinned down at you, waggling his eyebrow bones.

     You blushed. “Paps! S-seriously! You have been eating and taking care of yourself, right?”

     “I… O-OF COURSE!?”

     “…What have you eaten today?”

     “…”

     Hm, you were right. He hadn’t been taking care of himself. You sighed, standing up and heading to the kitchen as he whimpered a protest.

     Huh. The kitchen was immaculate. Much cleaner than normal. Come to think of it, you were now noticing that the whole house was even more spotless than usual. Oh. Papyrus had probably spent the past few days cleaning when he wasn’t working. Did he even sleep or eat at all? You felt bad all over again.

     Bonk. Papyrus had snuck up behind you and had leaned over to rest his chin on top of your head while you stared into the kitchen. “You Need To Stop Worrying. I Am Okay. I Promise. If I Eat, Will You Just Sit And Be Happy With Me? Please?”

     You nodded your head under him as he squeezed your shoulders with his hands and brushed past you toward the fridge.

     “Ah! I was going to cook for you!” You complained as he took out a tupperware of spaghetti, popped off the lid, and started looking for a fork. Ugh, he was going to eat it cold. “I wanted to take care of you… Since I haven’t been lately…”

     “Desist This Unnecessary Self-Imposed Guilt Trip! You And Me… We Had A Misunderstanding. It Is Okay Because Look At What Good Came Out Of It!” He gestured grandly between the two of you with his fork before setting both it and the tupperware on the counter so he could pose dramatically. “YOU HAVE EXPRESSED YOUR UNDYING LOVE FOR ME AND I HAVE RECIPROCATED! TONIGHT IS A HAPPY NIGHT! SO I WILL EAT SOME OF THIS PASTA… Oh, Did You Want Some Too? No? Okay… I WILL EAT THIS PASTA QUICKLY SO WE CAN GET BACK TO OUR IMPORTANT BUSINESS OF CANOODLING AND WATCHING… WHATEVER IT IS WE ARE WATCHING! …THAT WAS NOT A PURPOSEFUL PASTA PUN.” You laughed and he smiled wider, encouraged. “YES, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND HIS EQUALLY GREAT GIRLFRIEND WILL NOT HAVE OUR HAPPY NIGHT THWARTED BY NEGATIVE FEELINGS LIKE GUILT OR WORRY… OR FEAR!” His proud smile wavered a minuscule amount, but he cleared his non-existent throat and continued. “WE WILL CONFIDENTLY BRAVE THIS NEW LEVEL OF OUR RELATIONSHIP… WITH CONFIDENCE!” With that declaration, he scooped up the tupperware and started eating the cold pasta.

     Alright. He too was worrying a little… But about the relationship. You probably were too, you realized. Being in love could be pretty scary. Make you vulnerable. It was scary how much it hurt when you both fought. But he wanted to focus on happier things. Not a bad idea actually. You could do this too.

     After finishing up his pasta and cleaning up, you both settled back on the couch and started up the movie where you left off… Some musical blog about a villain trying to make it into some evil organization all while trying to win some girl’s affections. There was a lot more to the movie (miniseries?) than that, but you were being distracted. Distracted by the touchy-feely skeleton cuddled next to you who was now studying your hand and arm intently as he palpated the bones of your limb through your skin. He seemed utterly fascinated as he leaned over to get a closer look.

     You managed to stifle a laugh. Guess skin and muscles covering bone would be kind of interesting for him. Truth be told, you were a little curious about him too. With your free hand, you reached toward his exposed vertebrae in the back of his neck, curious what the little wings and ridges felt like. Hm, kind of rough and bumpy, less smooth than his arm bones. You traced your fingers along the vertebrae all the way up to where they met his skull, kind of wondering how everything stayed connected. He fell forward a little more and you realized his hands had stilled on your arm. Haha, aw, he really did like being pet. Smiling, you ran your fingers around the back and toward the front of his skull as he vocalized a happy sort of sound. You continued rubbing his skull as the heroine on TV sang about how she believed there was good in everyone’s heart. Poor girl. You had a feeling how this movie  would end for her. Seemed nice people never got the best of endings in these sorts of stories.

     Papyrus started snoring. Huh. He fell asleep all hunched over like that? Ah well. So much for “canoodling.” You turned off the TV. It was starting to get late anyway and you should probably get some sleep so you could go to your classes tomorrow. You were sure Paps definitely wouldn’t let you skip this time. You tapped the top of his skull but he continued to snore. Next, you tried nudging him but he still slept. Wow he was a heavy sleeper when he actually slept! Hm… Speaking of heavy… You wondered just how heavy he was. Could you carry him to his room? Haha, the thought was pretty amusing. Would probably break some sort of gender stereotype dating rule or something if you tried. Would he be upset with you? Well… He had once used his magic to lift you into your bed. And it would be more comfy for him to sleep in his own bed, right?

     Shrugging and making up your mind, you placed one of his arms over your shoulder and carefully grasped around his back. Then, you shoved your other arm under his knees and lifted. Oh wow, he really wasn’t heavy at all! Though maybe a little lanky. You had to carefully navigate the hall and doorway so you didn’t smack his skull or legs against the walls or doorframe. And still he snored.

     As you carefully set him down on his bed, he suddenly tightened his grip around your shoulder and pulled you down next to him. You yelped. “I th-thought you were asleep!”

     “I Am Asleep. I Am Sleeping As I Speak,” he mumbled.

     You laughed. “It doesn’t sound like you’re asleep.”

     “Oh But I Am. I Talk And Capture Humans In My Sleep.” He smirked with his eyes still closed and his arm squeezed around you.

     “And let them carry you around first, apparently.” You settled in, snuggling closer to your warm skeleton.

     “All Part Of My Elaborate Plan To Capture You. It Worked. Besides, You Said You Wanted To Take Care Of Me.”

     “Hm, how magnanimous of you.” You yawned as he chuckled. “I should probably at least go turn off the lights…”

     Papyrus lifted his free hand and snapped his fingers. You caught a brief flare of orange, and the lights cut out leaving the room in darkness.

     “Ok, now that’s a cool trick!” You laughed.

     “Sans Came Up With It. Leave It To My Brother To Come Up With Lazy Ways To Use Gravity Magic. Nyeh Heh.”

     “Speaking of, so you all talked, huh? Everything good with you guys?”

     “Yes. We Have Come Up With Some Financial Ideas And Arrangements On How To Pay For The Car. And He Promised Me He Would Cease His Questionable Employment. I Offered To Go Apologize And Have A Civil Conversation With That Ernie Human…”

     “Absolutely not!” You cringed at the thought. “Paps, you can’t just…”

     “Yes, Okay. Fine. I Know. Sans Shot My Idea Down Too.” He grumbled, then sighed. “I Am Sorry. I Am Not Angry.”

     You were both quiet for a little while.

     Papyrus broke the silence. “You… Are You Okay? After Everything…”

     “Yeah. I promise. We’re good.” You reached out and gently gave him a squeeze around the tops of his shoulders, careful to avoid the front of his ribs. He sighed and squeezed you back.

     “Also, Are You Okay With This Sleeping Arrangement? Because If Not, You Can Still Stay In Here And I Can Go Sleep…”

     “Paps, I want to stay with you. Unless you would rather…”

     “I Want To Stay With You Too.”

     “Ok.”

     “Okay.”

     The room was silent again. You were starting to drift to sleep when Papyrus broke the silence again. “… You Know, It Is Kind Of Funny Thinking Back On All The Things That Had To Happen For Us To End Up Where We Are Right Now. All The Little Puzzle Pieces That Had To Fall Into Place Just Right. Both The Bad Ones And The Good Ones. All To Create What We Are Now. I Am Happy All The Things Happened, Both Good And Bad.”

     You laughed. “Are you getting all philosophical on me? It must be getting late.”

     “I Always Say Complex Things No Matter What Time It Is Because I Am A Sophisticated Skeleton!” He huffed causing you to laugh again.

     “Of course, my mistake.” You giggled. “I’m happy I met you too.” You reached up and started running your fingers along the side of his face, feeling the contours around where his bottom jaw met his skull and the way the bone arched just under his eye sockets. He made a happy noise again as he snuggled closer to place his forehead against yours. Though he was the first one to finally drift to sleep again, you weren’t far behind.


	30. Friday, 11/08/20XX:  Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just a note, the stuff after the stars is from Ernie's POV. Enjoy. =P
> 
> Warning: Cursing

Friday, 11/08/20XX

     The rest of the week saw you more or less returning to your regular routine. The less part being you did your usual going to classes. The more part being that you and Papyrus were spending A LOT more time together. Like to the point where he had waited for you after class every day that week. Even when he had to work later in the evening (you had fussed at him over that on Wednesday). And when you weren’t hanging out, you were calling or texting each other. (At one point he had gotten a little irritated with you when he found out you were texting while in class so you had stopped doing that.) You all were becoming like those ridiculous couples that you used to scrunch your nose at but somehow, you really didn’t care.

     Alphys and Undyne had bombarded you with texts Wednesday morning (though Undyne already had the full story from Papyrus after their run earlier that same morning). Papyrus had joined you all for anime club Thursday in order to “find out about your other interests.” You had had to gently shush his many LOUD questions during the whole thing.

     Sure enough, when your class ended Friday, Papyrus was there waiting for you outside. He was wearing a graphic tee and shorts, despite the cold weather. You envied the fact that he didn’t get cold as you tightened your own coat around yourself. He smiled brightly when he saw you exit the doors and bounded up to you, amongst giggling from a few of your classmates. While you were happy to see him, you were unhappy he had stayed up when he had to work that night. Again.

     “GREETINGS HUMAN GIRLFRIEND! I AM HERE TO SURPRISE YOU AND GRACE YOU WITH MY PRESENCE!”

     Ah geez, more of your classmates were gawking and a few were outright laughing. But despite the unwanted attention of your classmates, you loved Paps too much to ever be embarrassed by his… Exuberance.

     “Greetings skeleton. I see that,” you smiled and reached out for his hand as he gleefully took yours, threading your fingers in his. “Though don’t you work tonight? I thought we agreed that…”

     “WORRY NOT! FOR I SLEPT FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE SANS HAD TO GO TO WORK!” He happily swung your combined hands as you all walked to your dorm. Heh, he really was too cute and his cheerfulness was infectious.

     It was overcast and so cold you could actually see your breath come out in steamy puffs. It was making your nose run and you had sneezed a few times, dabbing at your nose with tissues with your non-occupied hand. Papyrus had stopped swinging your hand as you walked and when you looked up, he was staring down at you with immense concern. Unable to help yourself, you started laughing.

     “What’s with that look? I’m ok! It’s just the cold making my nose runny. Sorry, it’s gross.”

     “You Are Certain You Are Not Getting Sick?”  
  
     “I’m not sick. Seriously, it’s just the cold.” You took your hand back so you could use both hands to grab more tissues out of your pocket and blow your nose. Uug, gross.

     Papyrus was giving you an incredulous look. “My Book About Humans Said Noses Should Not Leak Unless Someone Is Sick Or Sad…” He frowned at you, concerned. “Are You Sa…”

     “Paps! No! I’m not sick or sad! Noses run when it’s cold too. I’m fine. Promise. Haha, I think maybe you should skip the chapters on human illnesses. They’ll just make you worry.”

     “But I Want To Find Out About Your Human Stuff… You Are Not Skipping Any Of The Chapters In The Book About Monsters.” He pouted.

     You tried not to laugh again at the many expressions he was giving you throughout your conversation. It still amazed you how expressive he was. And you had probably gotten a lot better at reading his expressions throughout the time you had known him. “You know… I wouldn’t mind if you ever had questions you wanted to ask me about human stuff. I can answer stuff too.” You smiled up at him.

     “I Might… Take You Up On That. You Too Can Ask Me Any Questions You May Have.” Hm, from the look he was giving, you were getting he had a particular question in mind. Though he seemed hesitant to ask it.

     You waited until you were both safely in your dorm before you called him out on it. “Alright, ask your question. I know you’ve got one.”

     Papyrus blushed orange. Huh. It had been a while since you’d seen him do that. “I… I Don’t Think I Have Anything To Ask After All…”

     “Oh now I definitely want to hear this question!” You giggled as you tickled the side of his ribs. Ack! Then you remember he had been hurt but no… He just smiled and jumped a little. Seemed he was feeling better. Good.

     “You Will Laugh…”

     “I won’t! When do I ever…”

     He gave you a pointed look.

     “W-well you laugh at me too all the time! Ugh, just ask me. Would it make you feel better if I asked a silly question first?”

     “Okay.”

     “Ok… Um… Oh! Can you really take your limbs off and stick them back on again?”

     Papyrus blinked at you. Then burst out laughing. Ok… That was a definite no. Dammit Sans. You’d get him back.

     “WHAT… NYEH HEH HEH HEH… WHY WOULD YOU EVER THINK THAT?!! THAT IS RIDICULOUS! WHERE DID YOU EVER GET THAT IDEA?!!”

     “Nowhere,” you grumbled, folding your arms over your chest and probably blushing.

     “YOU ARE THE BEST! YOU ASKED THAT INCREDIBLY SILLY QUESTION JUST TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT MY QUESTION, DIDN’T YOU?” He laughed and squeezed you against him.

     “Yeah… Sure… We’ll go with that,” you mumbled into his shirt.

     “NYEH HEH HEH, OKAY. Okay. I Will Ask My Question Then…” He released you, all of a sudden blushing and looking shy again. “Um… Why Do Humans… Kiss? I Know A Lot Of Monsters Do Too… I Guess I Was Just Wondering What It Was Like?”

     “Y-you want me to kiss you?” You were probably now blushing again yourself.

     “M-MAYBE! IF… IF YOU WERE OKAY WITH IT…”

     “You seriously want me to kiss you after all the snot earlier? That’s the question you thought about after seeing me all sneezy and snotty?”

     “I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT QUESTION BEFORE ALL THAT! I MEAN… IT IS NOT LIKE I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE… MAYBE… I AM JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING I CANNOT DO AND NO ONE HAS EVER KISSED ME BEFORE AND MONSTERS AND HUMANS BOTH TALK ABOUT KISSING LIKE IT IS IMPORTANT AND ALPHYS AND UNDYNE SEEM TO ENJOY IT BUT IF IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO DO I AM NOT TRYING TO PRESSURE YOU AND MAYBE WE CAN JUST FORGET I EVEN ASKED ABOUT IT…”

     “N-no! It’s not like I don’t want to kiss you! I do! Uh… But how would this work? Do I just like… Kiss your teeth or something?”

     “WHAT? NO! THAT WOULD BE WEIRD AND LIKELY NOT ENJOYABLE FOR EITHER ONE OF US… LET’S JUST FORGET I ASKED ABOUT IT AFTER ALL.”

     “No! No. Wait. I’ve got this.” You fixed him with a serious look as you reached your hands up to grasp the sides of his heated face. He was blushing so orange he was almost florescent. You had to stifle a nervous giggle, not wanting to ruin the moment.

     He closed his eye sockets as you gently pulled his face down toward you and stood on your tiptoes so you could reach. Tentatively, you placed a small smooch on his forehead. As you leaned away to look at him, he cracked one eye socket open at you and then both, kind of furrowing his bone brows. You dropped your hands from his face.

     “S-so… Um… That’s about it I guess… Ha ha, d-does it at least sate your curiosity?” Argh, you were blushing yet again.

     “It Was Not Terrible… Kind Of Tickled?”

     “…”

     “…”

     “Um… Want to play some games on the computer?”

     “OKAY!”

     Well, despite the awkward kiss, the rest of the afternoon was fun. Papyrus was quite competitive and you purposefully chose computer games you were good at just to see him get riled up. Haha, his intense looks of concentration and the way he leaned his whole bottom jaw into his palm and stroked his chin with his finger and thumb were adorable. He also made angry little grunty noises if he was losing. Though he still managed to beat you many times and would gloat unabashedly about his greatness. You made sure to gloat just as much when you beat him and he would try to pretend to be irritated and fail miserably. You loved these moments when the two of you could just hang out and be your dorky selves.

     Later that evening, you and he met up with Alphys and Undyne at the book store around the time Sans was closing. You all had previously arranged to have one of your group pizza (and spaghetti) outings. While Undyne and Papyrus were play-fighting and Alphys was watching them, you shot Sans a glare and he looked back up at you confused.

     “Real funny telling me you all could remove your limbs. Your brother certainly thought it was hilarious.” You whisper/hissed at him.

     Sans’ sockets widened and he had to put a fist up to his grin to stifle his laughter.

     “I’ll get you back.” You added, still glaring.

     “heh, sure ya wanna make that threat, pal?” Sans asked, winking at you.

     Ah, you probably didn’t. You swallowed. “N-never mind.”

     On your way to the pizza place, you all were surprised when Becky called out and jogged over to meet you.

     “Oh good! I caught you guys.” She stood in front of your group with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. Huh. This really wasn’t like her.

     “B-Becky! Everything ok?” You asked as the rest of the group said nothing, probably just as surprised as you were.

     “Yeah. But so like, I wanted to like warn you all. I’ve heard from some friends that Ernie has been like snooping around asking about guard schedules. And I guess I was like worried or whatever and thought you all should know.”

     You squeezed Papyrus’ hand and he frowned. Papyrus worked later tonight. Undyne gritted her teeth. Alphys and Sans exchanged looks, something conveyed but unspoken passing between them.

     “WORRY NOT, ROOMMATE HUMAN!” Papyrus piped up. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF DEFENDING HIMSELF AND HIS FRIENDS!”

     “Well, I guess. I kinda saw you defend us like just the other day. Thanks by the way.”  Becky looked down at her feet nervously.

     “OH… UM… YOU ARE WELCOME…” He looked a little uneasy but Becky didn’t notice. You squeezed his hand again and he smiled down at you.

     Becky clutched her purse on her arm as she looked at her feet. “I just wanted to give you a heads up. Oh, and I guess I’m sorry and stuff that I think you all are a little scary. I’m trying and all to be more open-minded because you guys seem really nice despite the fangs and claws and bones and all.”

     Ah geez. But at least she was trying.

     Undyne grinned. “Eh, sounds like an adequate apology to me. And I like your blunt honesty, punk!” She reached out and slapped Becky’s shoulder causing her to flinch and laugh nervously, rubbing it.

     “Becky, do you want to come get pizza and spaghetti with us?” You asked.

     “Hee hee, actually, oddly enough, yeah. I kinda do.” Becky beamed at you happily.

     So, you all went to the local pizza place, got a big table, and ordered pizzas and pasta.

     You were a little embarrassed when Becky blurted out asking if Undyne eating anchovies was considered cannibalism, but luckily Undyne thought it was hilarious.  Sans used the opportunity to declare that Becky needed to "tuna it down" and the whole table ended up laughing/groaning.

     Despite the fun, you couldn’t help but to worry about what Ernie was planning. Why would he be stalking your boyfriend’s work schedule unless he was planning something? Last time he had just lashed out in anger at Papyrus, he had left him hurt for days. Well, he might not have been hurt as long had he been taking care of himself but still. What if Ernie attacked Papyrus with the sole intention of hurting him? What would happen then? You shuddered to think about it.

     Papyrus noticed you fretting. (Gah, he was noticing a lot more when it came to you lately). He squeezed your hand under the table and smiled at you, motioning his head toward your roommate.

     Seemed Becky had actually managed to settle down some and laugh along with everyone else. She was actually in the process of exchanging text numbers with everyone, including you (you felt a little guilty that you hadn’t done that already). Hm, she really had come a long way. She had gone out of her way yet again to try to help you and your friends. Overcoming her own fears and prejudices. Choosing to distance herself from an abusive and hateful boyfriend. You were kinda proud of her. And yeah, a little happy that you had been right about her. Sure, she had flaws like everyone but she made an effort to be a good person. And that’s what mattered.

     Well, here you were again pointed to look at the good that comes out of even bad situations. You looked over at Papyrus who winked at you (and actually said “WINK”) as he took a big bite of his spaghetti. Heh, he was right. Things would be ok. Best to focus on the positive things right in front of you than worry about things that may or may not happen.  
  
*********************  
     Ernie was livid as he hurled his cellphone across the room, practically destroying it as it slammed against the wall. How dare he! How dare his father make the decision to send Ernie off to some boarding school in England! And he had called the vice president of the frat just before calling Ernie?! His own son! Just because some anonymous jerk had sent his father a video of his Halloween frat prank and ensuing fight afterward! It was just a prank! Where did his father get off with his wild claims that his “youngest son was besmirching the good name of _his_ fraternity?”

     Oh, Ernie had a pretty good idea of who was responsible for sending his father that video. A certain roommate of his ex and tall skeleton came to mind. And they would pay. What else did he have to lose, anyway? Not like he’d be around this school much longer. Fuck. His dad and brother were always looking down on him. And the one time, the one time he had made something of himself, they were going to rip it all away from him. He wouldn’t even be allowed to finish out the semester! Gone by the end of next week?! Gone his ass! Oh, those monsters and that monster-loving bitch would pay.

     Uncapping a bottle of whiskey, he took a swig as he searched his room for something he could use. Gun? Nah, too quick and easy. He wanted them to suffer.

     There was a soft knock against the doorframe. “Hey Ernie, what’s goin on, man? I heard somethin slam against the wall. You ok?” One of his frat brothers called in.

     “Get the fuck out of here!” Ernie spat at him.

     “Shit, okay, okay,” his frat brother called back, holding his hands up and retreating out of the room again.

     Great. His frat brother had probably heard the news. The whole fraternity probably knew by this point. Where the hell was it… Aha! There! Ernie pulled out the smooth metal baseball bat from under his bed and smacked it into his palm a few times. Yes, that would do nicely. Now all he had to do was wait until nightfall. He had made it a point to find out when the tall taller skeleton monster was working, hadn’t he? Time to put that knowledge to good use. Tonight. If he caught him by surprise, he was pretty sure he could do quite a bit of damage. That freak wouldn’t get away with ruining Ernie’s life.


	31. Still Friday, 11/08/20XX:  Kids Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter = posted early. This one told entirely from Ernie's perspective. One more after this one. ;) Thanks again for sticking with me!
> 
> Warning: Language, Possible Implied Violence

Still Friday, 11/08/20XX

     The frat house was eerily quiet as Ernie’s watch alarm went off at 10pm. He blearily cut it off, still a little drunk. Who cared. There were no frat activities that night so his brothers were probably off partying elsewhere. Better to have less witnesses around anyway. His vision swam as he staggered to his feet. After getting his bearings, he took another swig of the whiskey on his night stand. Fumbling around in the dark, he managed to find and grab his bat and made his way to the front door. Shit, it really was quiet at the house. Not even the hum of the heating system could be heard. Come to think of it, it was a little cold in the house. And dark… Huh. He noticed the power was out as he flipped the light switch and no light came on. Fucking power company. Whatever.

     Pushing open the front door, he was met by the brisk night air. Outside, the moon was slightly obscured behind the clouds giving just enough light to see by and a crisp breeze rattled through the falling leaves. Other than that and his feet crunching along on the gravel driveway, the night was deadly silent. And very cold. Ernie shivered. Whatever. He wrenched open the door of his Porsch, breaking its frosty hold against the car, and slammed it again as he tossed the bat on the passenger’s seat. He leaned sideways to fish his keys out of his pocket and turned them in the ignition… Nothing.

     “The hell?” He tried again. The engine didn’t even try to turn over. “What the fuck? Piece of shit!” Ernie slammed his fist against the steering wheel.

     “my thoughts exactly,” said a low voice next to him.

     Ernie screamed and flung open the door, falling out of the car into the gravel. He scrambled away on the ground, feeling the rocks dig into his knees and scrape at his hands. “Fuck! Shit! What the fuck?”

     “heya,” a short figure said, smiling and now standing just to the side of Ernie (when had he moved?!) with his hands in his hoodie pockets. Wait… He recognized that figure. Sans. “you’ve been busy, huh?”

     “Sans! What the fuck are you doing here?” Ernie gasped as he struggled to catch his breath and stand up. Fucking creepy skeleton monster.

     “enjoying the night air.” Sans regarded him with tiny, bright lights in his eye sockets. “so, where were you off to at this hour with that baseball bat? seems awful late for a game of ball, huh?”

     Sans had some nerve showing up out of nowhere like this. Ernie would make him remember his place. “None of your damn business, freak!” He spat. “Don’t forget! You work for me! I could get you and your brother fired at any time!” He folded his arms now glaring down at the short skeleton.

     Sans seemed unfazed. “heh. so you’ve said. speaking of my brother, i heard you and he had a bit of a… scuffle at the school the other day. care to explain?”

     “Explain?! Explain?! Really? You should be fucking grateful I took pity on you and didn’t report that incident to the police! Your brother belongs behind bars!” Ernie glanced at the driver’s side door. He just had to get back in his car and grab that baseball bat…

     “nah. i don’t think so. see, you don’t strike me as the type to show mercy. to anyone.”

     Ernie darted through the driver’s side door, scrambling around the front passenger seat for the bat. It was gone.

     “lookin for something, pal?” Sans chuckled from his position off to the side. He hadn’t moved.

     “Fuck you Sans! Where the hell is my bat?” He didn’t know why, but a feeling of dread was starting to settle over him.

     “what? you think i’m just gonna stand there and take it?” Sans winked one of his eye sockets at Ernie and shrugged.

     Ernie cursed under his breath as he turned back toward the house. He almost screamed again as Sans appeared just in front of him, blocking his path.

     “just stand there and let you hurt my friends? my brother? think that’s how this story ends?” Sans continued, hands still in his pockets.

     Ernie darted around him, running into the house and slamming the front door, panting and trembling. Fuck. Where was everyone? Fumbling around in the dark, he searched for a weapon he could use. Something. Anything.

     “as i was saying,” Sans said right beside Ernie.

     Ernie screamed again as he jumped and stumbled to the floor.

     “ah geez, buddy. careful. anyway, you strike me as the type who lives only for himself. the type who takes joy in hurting others.”

     “Sans, I swear to God! Keep this shit up and…”

     “yeah, yeah. the thing is, you keep making that threat and you keep not delivering on it. it becomes ineffective after a while. wanna know what i think?”

     “I really don’t.” Ernie pushed past him and made his way to his room, panting and sweating. He had to find a weapon and fast.

     Sans appeared in front of him again, continuing as if he wasn’t interrupted, “i think you can’t deliver on that threat. because your dad won’t listen to you. no one will.  probably because, i dunno, they're all aware of what a selfish prick you are?”

     Ernie roared and took a swing at him and Sans teleported out of the way at the last second. “heh. it’s funny really. i’m usually better at figuring people out. took paps and his girlfriend standing up to you to make me realize. you’ve got nothin.”

     “Oh, I’ve got something alright!” Ernie growled as he reached for his nightstand drawer… But it wouldn’t open! What the hell? He tugged on the handle but it wouldn’t budge. It was then he noticed an eerie blue glow filling his room. Looking up, Ernie noticed Sans had a single, glowing blue pupil in his left socket and in the dim blue light he saw him holding out his left hand as he grinned eerily.

     “you’ve got nothin. talked to your dad. he was pretty eager to get the video i sent him. thanked me and everything. nice guy, your dad. too bad his youngest son is such an asshole.”  
  
     Ernie charged Sans again swinging and again the shorter skeleton teleported out of the way sending Ernie tumbling into his dresser and almost knocking over his bottle of whiskey.

     “tell ya what. i know you’re leaving for some foreign country at the end of the week. i know you feel you’ve got nothing left to lose. but here’s the deal. i’m not going to let you hurt anyone before you go. so you’ve got two choices. you can take option a and stop trying to hurt me, my brother, and my friends. or you can take option b, and get dunked on and still not get to hurt anyone. your call. which will it be?”

     Picking up the bottle of whiskey, Ernie just barely missed as he lobbed it at the short skeleton, sending the bottle smashing into the wall.

     Sans blinked, grinning more in the blue light cast by his eye. “welp. can’t say i’m surprised.”

     Suddenly, the blue light in Sans’ eye socket went out and the room was enveloped in darkness. “ **option b it is** ,” Sans laughed darkly.

     Ernie let out a scared whimper as he started to realized he may have made a big, big mistake.


	32. The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my fellow writers, commenters, kudo leavers, and silent readers alike: Thank you all so much for your inspiration and support! It really does mean a lot to me! This fandom is full of kind and talented people and I am happy you all let me be a part of it. Hope you all enjoyed my goofy little story as much as I enjoyed writing it. ^-^

Saturday, 11/09/20XX

     You had planned on hanging around the guard shack all night the previous night. Papyrus wouldn’t hear of it. He told you not to worry and that he could take care of himself. That he must concentrate on his work and not have his girlfriend there distracting him. You had tried to compromise and agree to just check on him every few hours. Then he had pouted and asked you if you believed he was capable of taking care of himself. Ugh, he must have known that would work because you spent all night in your dorm worried about him instead of being at the guard shack. You didn’t sleep much. Becky had even offered to go covertly check up on him for you, which you thanked her for but declined. Seems even the girl across the hall had overheard you all and had knocked on your door, brandishing a frying pan and motioning toward the elevators with a questioning look. Was she really planning on using the frying pan as a weapon to fend off any attackers? But no, no need to put either one of them in potential danger. Besides, Papyrus was right that he could take care of himself. You would trust him. But you were still worried.

     Early Saturday morning, just after 5AM, you were relieved as you got the text that Papyrus was getting off work. Already ready with your bag packed, you headed down to meet him as your roommate slept. At least Papyrus had agreed that you all would spend the weekend together. Not that it took any real convincing on your part.

     The elevator doors opened on the bottom floor and you saw Papyrus standing near the front dorm entrance waiting for you. As always, his uniform was immaculate and his face lit up in a huge grin when he saw you. He really was ok. Seized by a moment of relief and silliness, you dropped your bag on the floor and rushed him. Grinning, he leaned down and caught you, surprising you by lifting you off the ground and swinging you around in a circle. Just like an anime! You both laughed as he pressed his forehead to yours and he gently set you down. Maybe it was the oversleepyness or maybe just the joy of seeing him ok, but whatever possessed you, you grabbed his face in your hands and planted a kiss directly on his teeth.

     He stared at you wide-eye-socketed as you pulled away. He put a hand up and brushed his fingers where you had kissed him as an orange blush creeped over his cheekbones.

     Ah geez, did you really just do that? After the conversation you all just had about how weird that would be? “Ah… S-sorry. That was w-weird, right? I d-don’t know what possessed me…” You stuttered, mortified.

     “N-NO. IT WAS FINE. THIS IS FINE. A FINE SHOW OF AFFECTION… NOT AS WEIRD AS I… IT IS FINE. A-ARE YOU FINE TOO?” He was scratching the back of his head and looking down at you.

     “Yes,” you squeaked, looking away and blushing.

     A few moments passed and then your face was smooshed against his bony chest as he hugged you, chuckling. “FRET NOT, MY FLUSTERED HUMAN! FOR I AM AWARE OF HOW IRRESISTIBLE THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS! ONE COULD HARDLY BLAME YOU FOR WANTING TO KISS A SUCH HANDSOME SKELETON AS MYSELF!”

     You groaned against him and reached up to tickle the sides of his ribs, causing him to jump and grab your hands.

     “NYEH HEH, NO. BAD HUMAN. NO TICKLING THE SKELETON!” He dropped one of your hands and threaded his fingers with yours with his other hand. Leaning over, he hoisted your bag over his shoulder in his free hand.

     On the way to the car, Papyrus kind of mumbled while not looking at you, “You Know… If… If You Ever Felt The Need To Kiss Me Again Some Time… I Would Not Mind…” He had the slight orange blush on his cheekbones again.

     Grinning, you hoisted his hand up to your mouth and planted a loud, obnoxious smooch on the back of it.

     He looked over, trying to mock glare down at you but ruined the effect as he ending up laughing instead.

     The drive to the apartment was filled with Papyrus babbling on about what a quiet night he had and how he had been able to make several rounds of the entire school without anything happening. He also excitedly talked about a game he had found that involved building this elaborate trap throughout the course of the game that when finished, would be used to attempt to trap your opponent’s mouse game piece. Knowing how much he loved puzzles and traps, you were excited to play this game with him. Plus, you had played it before and you were looking forward to winning, hah hah.

     Sans was awake when you got to the apartment, sitting on the couch with a smug grin and a bag of Fonions. Of course. It was a snack and a pun in one. Hm, that grin… He was up to something…

     You eyed him suspiciously as he just smiled back and ate his snack.

     “SANS! YOU ARE AWAKE! ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY THE RATTRAP BOARD GAME WITH US?” Paps excitedly asked as he went to fetch his game.

     “sure bro. suppose i could squeak one game in before i catch some z’s.”

     “YAY! I AM SO HAPPY, I CAN IGNORE YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES!”

     You smirked at Sans as he brushed the crumbs from his phalanges onto his hoodie as Papyrus set up the game board. You were happy too. It was rare for Sans to join in on anything besides the group outings to the pizza place. He had never joined in on any of the games with you all before.

     Halfway through the game, you were starting to kind of regret playing with him. Sans was definitely cheating. He was getting a little too lucky with his dice rolls. Why didn’t Papyrus seem to notice? Though you watched Sans carefully and it didn’t seem like he was using his magic.

     “heh, what’s with that distrustful look, pal? really think i would cheat while playing against my bro? that would be a dicey move on my part.” He grinned as he yet again managed to avoid putting his board piece in danger.

     You were about to retort with a clever pun about loaded dice when your text tone went off on your phone. Hm. Becky. She was up somewhat early. And… Huh. You frowned at the screen.

     “WHAT IS IT?” Paps asked you.

     “Ah… It’s Becky. Uh… Seems she heard from a friend of a friend that Ernie’s left town. Apparently he looked really freaked out as he just packed up his stuff and didn’t say anything to anyone as he loaded up his car and left early this morning. And rumor has it he’s leaving the country…” Weird. Also weird her rumor mill worked that fast… Not that you were sad he had left. Actually, you were very happy. Wow, he was really gone! He couldn’t threaten your boyfriend or his brother anymore! This was great news!

     You looked up to catch Papyrus staring his brother down as Sans nonchalantly started picking at his Fonions again. You were confused, until Papyrus spoke up.

     “Sans… Did You Have Anything To Do With This?”

     Oh. Well… That conclusion actually made sense. You also looked at Sans, curious.

     “…i mean, i’m not saying i didn’t.”

     They continued to stare each other down.

     “Uh… I’m going to um… Go get some water…” You said as you got up to go to the kitchen. Seemed like they needed a moment.

     Ah crap, Sans did something to protect his brother again without telling Paps. Right after the fact that he had just done something like that that had caused them all to fight in the first place! Though in all fairness, if he had done something, he was protecting himself too. And You. You really couldn’t blame him. Besides, he did promise he would get himself out of his bad situation. But maybe he should have let his brother in on it? Paps probably wouldn’t have approved of whatever Sans did though. Seems Ernie up and left in a hurry… Well, you were actually really grateful Sans didn’t involve you in this. Yeah, it was probably better you stayed out of this for now…

     From the kitchen you heard the brothers talking in low murmurs for a bit and then it stopped and you heard a door close down the hallway. You got your glass of water and headed back out to the den to find Papyrus calmly putting away the puzzle. At least he didn’t seem overly upset.

     “You ok?” You asked him as you set down your water and started to help him put away the game.

     “Yes. Worry Not. We Did Not Even Talk About It After You Left.” He sighed as he placed the last of the game pieces away and closed the box. “It… Makes Sans Happy To Look Out For Me. I Decided To Pretend Not To Realize What He Did… Like I Always Do.” He walked over to put the game away and when he turned around toward you, he had a bright smile on his face again. “IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG SINCE WE HAVE HAD A COOKING SESSION! I KNOW! WE SHOULD COOK UP A BIG BATCH OF SPAGHETTI FOR LUNCH LATER!”

     He reached out his hand to you and instead of taking it, you wrapped your arms around him. He sighed again and returned the hug, leaning down to rest his cheekbone on top of your head.

     Afterward, neither one of you said anything else about the topic of Sans and the frat or Ernie. Nothing more needed to be said. You spent the rest of the day laughing and cooking like you had always done. Later in the day, Sans actually joined you all and ate some of the spaghetti and you all carried on like nothing had happened. The more time you spent with the both of them, the more you were understanding the way they did things. Probably not the most honest or healthiest of sibling relationships, but oh well. They were both happier than you had seen them in a while. You would just have to look out for the both of them.

***********************************************************  
Sunday, 11/24/20XX

     A few weeks passed after what you had dubbed in your head as the “Ernie Incident.” The school would be closed for the duration of the Thanksgiving holiday week. Papyrus had to work one more night and then he and his brother would head over to Toriel’s to meet up with the rest of their family for the holiday. Toriel as in the Queen of Monsters. You were going with them. To say you were nervous to meet the rest of their family was an understatement. Though Papyrus kept insisting they would all love you. And Alphys and Undyne would be there too (they had left on Friday).

     Through reputation, Sans had gotten a few other odd delivery jobs with some of the other frats and apparently was making good money at it. Papyrus had picked up a few extra guard shifts here and there. Between the two of them, they assured you, the car payments were being managed. You, Alphys, and Undyne again tried to at least pitch in for gas but it seems both brothers were stubborn and wouldn’t let anyone help them. Stubborn skeletons. But at least they seemed to have things under control.

     Becky had left to go visit her family that Saturday. She promised to text and send you pictures and told you you had to do the same. Funny, she was actually becoming a really good friend. Well, yeah, she still annoyed you sometimes and you were pretty sure you annoyed her at times too. But you both were already planning on rooming together again next semester. It didn’t take her long to find another boyfriend after Ernie. Oddly enough, she had started dating that previous pledge friend of Heats’. The one who had beat up Ernie on Halloween. When you found out about it, you had to make an effort not to start laughing. Though he actually seemed like a really nice guy.

     As for the girl across the hall, you had decided to get a sort of thank you gift for her for always looking out for you and your friends throughout the semester, even though you barely knew her. Well, you knew she seemed to really like coffee and tea. So before heading out to meet up with Papyrus, you balanced her gift basket of a mug and assorted coffees and teas in one hand while you knocked on her door with the other. Luckily, she was still there and cracked open the door and smiled and opened it more fully when she saw it was you.

     Hm, for once you got to see what the inside of her room looked like. Seemed she lived alone. Well, save for a cute little plant in the window with a single yellow flower. Other than that and a stained apron hanging on a hook and some random cook books, there was’t much to her room. Hm, maybe she liked cooking too? You’d have to invite her to join you and Papyrus sometime. Ah man, she was raising her eyebrow at you and you were just standing there oddly staring into her room. “Ah… H-hey. I um… Got you this as a s-sort of thank you for your kindness throughout the semester.”

     You handed her the basket and she looked pretty happy with it, smiling and nodding to you.

     “A-anyway, I hope you have a good Thanksgiving. A-are you going to go see family?”

     She looked at you and made a sort of see-saw motion with her hand while smirking one corner of her mouth. So sort of?

     “Ah, o-ok, have fun! See you after the break.”

     She smiled again and waved before gently closing the door.

     Well, at least she seemed to like the gift.

     Later that day after meeting up with Papyrus and heading back to the apartment, you, Papyrus, and Sans were engaged in a tense card game of Dos. And you were pretty sure Sans was cheating. Again. But on his brother’s behalf. And either Papyrus really didn’t notice or was pretending not to as he was winning by a landslide and boasting loudly about it. Finally, mercifully, Papyrus won and ended the game. None too soon either, you doubt you could have held any more cards in your hand.

     As Papyrus got up from the kitchen table to find another game, you shot Sans a glare as he grinned at you.

     “what’s the matter pal? kinda drawing a blank here why you seem upset. can’t hand-le a little defeat?”

     “Defeat I can handle. De-cheat on the other hand…”

     “heh, don’t be a sore loser. just ‘cause skeletons are better at games than humans. better bone up on your gaming skills for next time.” He closed his eye sockets and put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair beside you.

     You reached your foot under the raised corner of the chair and gave it a nudge, sending it tipping backwards. Sans’ eye sockets shot open and he flailed his arms out but you caught the back of the chair and righted it before it could fall.

     “Careful,” you said, mimicking his voice. “Wouldn’t want you to, you know, have a chairless accident. Just ‘cause humans are better at balancing than cheating skeletons.”

     Sans tried to frown at you but you both ended up cracking up as Papyrus returned.

     “THERE WAS A FUNNY? I MISSED IT? I WANT TO HEAR THE FUNNY TOO!” Papyrus declared as he set the Scrabbles board game down on the table.

     “your girlfriend is violent. she believes in literally toppling the competition.”

     You looked at Papyrus innocently as he made a show of contemplation, bringing his gloved hand up to his chin. “HM, THIS DOES NOT SOUND LIKE HER AT ALL. SANS, YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN.” He settled down in his chair beside you and wrapped his arm around you as you leaned into his shoulder, sticking your tongue out at Sans.

     “paps? really? throw me a bone. haven’t you ever heard the phrase, ‘bros before ho… eh… um… girlfriends?’”

     Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets at his brother. “I HAVE NOT HEARD SUCH A PHRASE. AND THANK YOU FOR CENSORING YOUR LANGUAGE.”

     You stifled a laugh as Sans grinned and shrugged and Papyrus sighed, taking out the board and pieces.

     Sans was definitely cheating. Somehow, you ended up with no vowels and a whole lot of z’s, t’s, and x’s. You were frustrated you couldn’t find out how he was doing it and Papyrus was frustrated over how Sans kept trying to spell out words that don’t even exist. Well, at least Sans was in a cheerful mood again even if he was being a troll. He seemed to be having more good than bad days lately, which was great. Even though Papyrus was putting on a show of screeching at his brother’s antics, you could tell he was having a great day too. Papyrus had recently started to teach you about sensing/hearing souls (though you could really only hear his soul) and you were getting better and better at using it to sense his moods. Not that you needed that right now to tell he was happy. You watched the two brothers interacting, smiling.

     That evening, as was becoming kind of the norm for you all, you and Papyrus snuggled together in his bed. Usually before you all slept, you would either talk about serious topics like monster stuff vs human stuff, the nature of souls, or anything and everything. Sometimes you would just flirt and joke around. Tonight you all seemed to be in a flirting and joking kind of mood. So of course, you were both competing on who loved the other more. Just because it was amusing to the both of you. And you both were competitive.

     “Well, I Love Every Bone In Your Body,” Papyrus retorted your earlier claim of you loving him more.

     “Only the bones? That’s rather heartless. Though considering the whole skeleton thing, I guess that makes sense…”

     “…Are You Trying To Get Under My Skin? Because I Assure You, That Is Impossible… ‘Considering The Whole Skeleton Thing.’”

     “Oh please. You know I can see right through you.”

     “Nyeh Heh Heh Heh! That Is A Rather Gutsy Thing To Say.”

     “Haha. I’m surprised you’re not carp(al)ing on the use of so many puns! I thought you hated them.”

     “I Admit… I Sometimes Find Bone Puns Somewhat Humerus.”

     “Hm, I find that fact… ribeting.”  
  
     “Okay… That One… No. We Are Done Here.”

     “But I’d be fib(ula)ing if…”

     He surprised and silenced you by pressing his teeth to your mouth. You giggled, leaning over him and kissed him back loudly on his teeth and then his forehead and all over his face in rapid succession until he started laughing too. The kiss attacks were stopped as he gently captured your face in his hands and brought your head back down to the pillow so you all could nuzzle and resume snuggling. Cuddling always seemed to work better with the two of you.

     Sleeping here with him and listening to the sound his soul made… That was true happiness for you. And so what if you would occasionally wake up with your skin pinched between one of his joints or your hair caught up in his phalanges or neck vertebrae? Or if you both snored and he drooled in his sleep? Love was never meant to be perfect. But you were perfectly happy with that.


End file.
